Dawn Potter: Shadowy Dreams
by Solanacaea
Summary: Dawn Potter's life has been anything but normal, even in the wizarding world. But when a Mr. Snape comes to take her away from the orphanage, her life turns even wonkier. Magic, adventure, and yes, love (perhaps with a certain Slytherin). What role will she play in her famous twin brother's seven years of Hogwarts?
1. Chapter 1: First Year

**First Year :)**

_Disclaimer: There are some parts in this story that were copied from JK Rowling's seven Harry Potter books._

Btw, the reviews are a bit messed up because I decided to combine a lot of chapters together after I posted them. So if you see someone saying 'Chapter 37 was amazing!' when there are only 7 chapters, just smile, nod, and go with it :) Also, _please review! _It's encouraging!

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Shadow woke to a loud bang that reminded her of cannon-fire.

'Get up, squirt!' A shrill voice ripped through the air. 'There are important visitors at the door, and none of them will pick you if you come down with your hair like that!' Someone ripped open the curtains. Light pierced Shadow's eyes like daggers.

She growled and yanked the covers over her head, trying to savor the dream she had been having. Shadow didn't remember what it had been about, but it had left a warm, sweet aftertaste.

'Off!' Mrs. Gasket tore the blankets off Shadow. 'I want to see your rump seated in one of the kitchen chairs in five minutes - clean and presentable!' She marched out of the room.

Shadow groaned and rolled out of bed. 'My rump has always been clean and presentable,' she grumbled.

Hurriedly dragging a comb through her messy mane of black hair, she slapped it into a somewhat-presentable braid. As she brushed her teeth, she pawed through her meager closet, trying to decide between the three outfits she owned.

It was an extremely hard decision. They were all exactly the same color.

She picked a pair of worn black jeans and her favorite shirt - black with a flaking silver rose on its front. Yanking her shoes on, she flew down the stairs, taking three steps at a time.

When she finally threw herself in the nearest kitchen chair, Mrs. Gasket was already there, setting out some of the more fancy cutlery so the guests would be more impressed. She slanted a grudging look at Shadow that informed her she had been on time.

'There is fresh bread in the oven. Put it on the table. Now where are those pesky twins?'

Shadow blinked before turning to the kitchen. Fresh bread? The guests must be really important. Already, she could hear the other orphans scrambling around as they rushed to tidy the place up.

Returning to the dining room with the fragrant bread that seemed determined to tease at her olfactory glands, Shadow realized the other orphans had all arrived and seated themselves. She hurriedly placed the bread on the table and took a seat, kicking away the hands that immediately snaked out to yank the chair from underneath her.

Before Shadow could give her neighbors her daily glare, a tall man in a dark cloak swept in. He had a thin, sallow face that was framed by a curtain of black hair. His eyes were cold, dark, and expressionless as he glanced at the table of kids.

Behind him, a blond woman entered. She had blue eyes that were slightly less frosty than her companion, though she surveyed the orphanage with disdain and a wrinkled nose.

'Children, I would like you to meet Mr. Snape and Mrs. Malfoy.' Mrs. Gasket adopted a sickly-sweet tone that caused several of the orphans to cough hastily into their hands.

Snape's gaze sliced through all the children before turning back to the plump matron. 'I am only looking for a specific child. I believe her name is... Dawn Potter?'

Shadow stiffened. Beside her, all the orphans exchanged confused looks. No one called her by her real name anymore; she had earned her current name by becoming notorious for her ability to hide in the shadows, eavesdrop on conversations, and just a surprising knack for doing anything related to stealth and espionage.

She rather liked her new name.

Mrs. Gasket turned to look at Shadow, her eyes narrowed. 'Yes, we do have a Dawn Potter here.'

Everyone turned to follow her gaze. Shadow steeled her spine and stood up. 'Call me Shadow please, Mr. Snape.'

Something flickered in the depths of those black eyes when they met her's, but they turned flat and unreadable before she could discern what it was. 'Yes, that's her. Shadow, follow Narcissa while I settle the paperwork.'

More muttering arose from the other orphans as Shadow snatched her bread and followed the blond woman out. No visitor had ever taken so little time to pick a child to adopt.

Outside the orphanage, another man was waiting. He had long blond hair, his gloved hands curled around a menacing-looking staff with a silver snake head. He strode over to them, pinning Shadow with unreadable gray eyes.

'You found her.'

Narcissa nodded. 'No doubt this time, she looks like a Potter.'

'So she does.' The blond man curled a lip.

Before the conversation could steer into more illuminating areas, Snape swept out. Shadow was taken aback. Paperwork didn't take fifteen seconds to complete.

'We're done here.' Snape didn't even look at Shadow. 'I will take her from here.'

Mrs. Malfoy's gaze narrowed. 'Why not have her live with us? Draco will be in her year after all.'

Snape didn't even bat an eye. 'Dumbledore believes I work for him now and he wants to see her.'

The woman scoffed. 'So she will live at your house? If you can even call it a house.'

Snape eyed her coolly. 'We can decide that later, after I take her to Dumbledore.'

Mr. Malfoy turned. 'I don't even understand why we are doing this. The Dark Lord hasn't appeared in over ten years, why can't we just leave her here? Besides, the Dark Lord ordered us to kill her, not adopt her.'

'Do not underestimate the Dark Lord. He may return yet, and I think he would find it rather useful to have this bargaining chip in his possession.' Snape put his back firmly to the other man. 'Come, Shadow. I will take you to a safe place.' He offered her an arm.

_A safe place where you're only keeping me alive because I may be a useful bargaining chip?_

Shadow tilted her chin upwards and studied the man. He seemed to be avoiding her eyes, merely looking at her general direction. Even as she watched, Snape shifted uneasily under her gaze, until he finally frowned at her with a more commanding expression.

Obediently, she gripped his arm.

A second later the world twisted and Shadow almost lost her grip on his arm. Snape clamped his other hand over her small ones and everything disappeared.

When she finally felt solid ground beneath her again, Shadow opened her eyes. They were in a completely different place.

'What just happened?' she demanded, her green eyes huge. Then she gawked, staring at the orchestra of unfamiliar colors, sounds, and terms of Diagon Alley. 'Where _are_ we?'

Shape glanced at the ten-year-old, then away. 'Welcome to the wizarding world, Dawn Potter.'

S

Shadow eyed space between Platform 9 and Platform 10 with apprehension. Though both Snape and Narcissa had explained to her how the secret platform worked, she was having trouble working up the courage to run into a very solid-looking wall.

Beside her, Draco Malfoy was also looking rather dubiously at the wall. He had white-blond hair that framed pale, angular features - making him look very much like his father. His eyes were frozen silver, with which he had regarded Shadow with curiosity, uneasiness, and blankness for much of the week she had stayed in his house.

She got the feeling that he had no idea what to do with a girl, but she didn't mind. As long as he didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother him.

A few months had passed since Snape had taken her away from the orphanage. Shadow had met the famous Albus Dumbledore, learned about the existence of magic, celebrated her eleventh birthday, and received her letter from Hogwarts.

She had also learned about the death of her parents and the news of her twin brother.

Shadow glanced around King's Cross, wondering if she would have a chance to meet Harry Potter before they reached Hogwarts.

_My brother_, she mused. The notion of a sibling was alien to her, after having to fight for survival on her own for so long. Kinship kindled no feelings of loyalty or love in her, not even for her parents. _So cold, _she scolded herself, though she didn't feel particularly guilty. _Shouldn't you feel at least indignant that your parents had been killed by an insanely evil wizard, causing you to be dumped in an orphanage?_

Hm, maybe she _did _feel a bit indignant.

Dumbledore had told Snape to look after Shadow for the remainder of summer - much to both of their chagrin. She still hadn't figured that man out. At times, he seemed to hate her with a burning passion - almost to the point of fear. Other times, he'd seem inexplicably softened towards her, almost like he wanted to see her smile. When he had taken her shopping at Diagon Alley for her school supplies, he had surprised her by buying her ice cream.

'Your mother liked this flavor,' Snape had said curtly, then left her standing alone with a mint chocolate cone.

He had also helped her catch the black hawk that hadn't stopped circling his house since her arrival; the hawk that was now nestled contently in the cage in front of her.

'What should I name her?' Shadow had asked him.

Snape had looked into her bright, eager eyes with an inexplicable expression of pain.

'Nightshade,' he had said abruptly before walking off. The speed of his exit made him seem like he had been running.

It was only later that she discovered her mother's cat had been named Solanaceae, the plant of nightshade berries.

And so Shadow named her hawk Nightshade.

She temporarily moved into the Malfoy Manor when Snape had to leave early to prepare for his teaching at Hogwarts. Once again, it had been on Dumbledore's orders.

_'_Are you sure about this, Dumbledore?' Shadow had overheard Snape ask when the headmaster had decided where to put Shadow for the last week of the holidays. 'They may not be a good influence on her.'

Dumbledore had smiled serenely. 'Yes, I am sure. Though Dawn Potter may seem unusually calm and unreadable for her age, I believe she has a strong ability to discern which people are using her, and which people actually care for her.'

'She is only eleven! Her cold, aloof attitude scares me, Dumbledore. What eleven-year-old thinks in such a mature, logical manner?'

A deep sigh had emanated from where Dumbledore had sat. 'I agree. Life has not been treating Dawn Potter with any particular kindness so far, and it shows in her mentality. I think she went through more than she let on, and I sincerely hope that whatever she experienced hasn't crushed her ability to love and care.' Deep-blue robes had rustled as Dumbledore made to stand up. 'Watch over her, Severus. She needs your help.'

Shadow had filed that conversation away for future reference, knowing that if she thought too deeply of its implications, she wouldn't be able to sleep for days. The only parting impression that eavesdropping session had left on her was her first thought of: _Did Dumbledore just call me mental?_

Which had effectively canceled all of the headmaster's claims on her maturity.

'Come, Draco. I will cross with you for this first time.' Lucius's voice shook Shadow out of her ricocheting thoughts. 'It's better done from a running-start.'

Shadow watched intently as Draco and Lucius ran towards the platform together. Before they reached it, however, Nightshade let out a piercing screech and flapped at something behind them. Distracted, Shadow tried to shush the hawk before she attracted too much attention.

When she looked back at the barrier, Draco and Lucius were gone.

'Let's go, Shadow.' Narcissa said to her with a much gentler tone Lucius had used on his son. 'It's safe, I assure you.'

Before Shadow could think of how to respond, Narcissa focused on something behind her, her lips curling in disgust. Shadow turned to see a large group of red-heads, all of them pushing trolleys with trunks and owls.

Ah, those owls must've been the source of Nightshade's ruffled feathers.

'Weasleys.' Narcissa muttered under her breath. 'We should go before they get here.'

Shadow pushed her trolley towards the platform barrier, but not before she spotted a black-haired boy approaching the Weasleys with a trolley of his own. She did a double-take. The boy had the exact same green, almond-shaped eyes as herself.

Before Shadow could get a closer look, she passed through the barrier and onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

The sight of the scarlet steam engine surrounded by a crowd of chattering people, hooting owls, and cats of every color temporarily drove the thoughts of the strange boy out of Shadow's mind.

'Bloody dead, deranged ancestors,' Shadow breathed, all of her senses overwhelmed.

Narcissa shot her a disapproving look. 'Mind your language, Shadow.'

They picked their way through the crowd to where Lucius was watching Draco attempt to heave his heavy trunk onto the train with his arms crossed.

'Lucius,' Narcissa admonished, 'Help the boy.'

'He should start building strength and determination at an early stage.'

'It's okay, mother,' Draco huffed when Narcissa opened her mouth to retort. 'I've got this.'

He hefted the trunk, teeth clenched, and staggered over to the open train door. With a vicious lunge and shove, he finally got the trunk on board.

'See?' Draco smirked in satisfaction over his shoulder. 'Told you I could do it.'

'So can I.' Shadow hauled her trunk into her arms and almost dropped it.

Merlin's beard, it was heavy.

Shadow ordered her arms to keep working as she lurched towards Draco. She righted herself, arms shuddering with effort, and tottered up the last few steps to drop her trunk beside his.

'See?' Shadow crossed her arms and gave the blond boy a smug smile.

Draco look of surprise changed promptly to a look of calculation, though it was somewhat softened by amusement. 'Your trunk was lighter,' he accused.

'Was not.'

'Was to.' He bent to pick up her trunk to prove it.

Suddenly a whistle sounded, startling Draco enough that he dropped her trunk.

'Oops,' Shadow offered him an innocent smile. 'Guess it wasn't really light after all.'

'Behave, children.' Lucius couldn't quite hide the smile on his face.

'Send us lots of owls!' Narcissa said as the train started moving. 'I want one from you as well, Shadow!'

Shadow and Draco waved at the blond couple as the train picked up speed. When they disappeared around the corner, Shadow lifted one end of her trunk and started dragging it down the hall. 'Let's find a compartment.'

Draco cleared his throat. 'I told my friends I'd meet them on the train.'

'Oh.' Shadow faltered, then picked up her smile again. 'Well, see you at Hogwarts then.'

'Yeah. See you.'

Shadow lugged her trunk down the train, searching for an empty compartment. She finally found one near the end of the train.

'... Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a Prefect, but they couldn't aff-I mean, I got Scabbers instead,' someone was saying inside the compartment.

Shadow pushed the door open.

'Hi, I'm sorry for interrupting but there wasn't any room left and-' Shadow stopped abruptly.

The dark-haired boy with the green eyes was sitting across from a lanky redheaded boy. When he turned to look at her, Shadow saw the same recognition flash in his eyes.

'You're Harry Potter,' Shadow managed to say after a moment of silence.

'I, uhm, yes.' Harry flattened the fringes of his hair over his forehead nervously, before he realized what he was doing. 'And you are?'

Shadow hesitated. 'Call me Shadow,' she said, after a moment. She pushed her trunk in and settled herself beside Harry, though she was careful to put a good length between them.

'I'm Ron,' the redhead spoke up.

'You're a Weasley.' Shadow hadn't meant to sound so accusing.

'Yeah,' Ron said rather defensively. 'What's that got to do with anything?'

'Oh, I uhm... saw you at the train station earlier.'

'Oh.' Ron relaxed.

'So… where are you from, Shadow?' asked Harry.

'London,' she said shortly.

'Are you muggle born?' he persisted.

'Yes,' Shadow invented wildly. 'No. I don't know.'

'You don't know?'

Shadow scrambled for what to say next. The truth? He didn't know she was his sister. As far as she knew, Harry Potter thought his sister had died.

'I'm from… an orphanage,' she coughed out.

'So you don't know who your parents are?' Ron asked, flabbergasted.

'I… I know who they are. Just… I don't know them personally, you know? Just names.'

Harry leaned closer. 'What're their names?'

Shadow cringed. 'I… uh….' What was she supposed to say? _Oh yeah, I think I'm your long-dead sister. Nice to meet you._

Without warning, the door to their compartment slid open, making all three of them jump in surprised. When a bushy-haired girl poked her head in, towing along a timid-looking boy behind her, Shadow felt like jumping up and hugging them for providing such a timely distraction.

'Hello, have you seen Neville's toad?' the girl asked, a little pompously.

Shadow scrambled to her feet. 'No, but I'll help you find him! I just need to, er, use the loo first.' Without waiting for the other girl to respond, she pushed out of the compartment and raced for the bathroom, leaving behind a sea of nonplussed expressions.

Hopefully, that toad was very, truly, impossibly lost.

S

Shadow was straightening her Hogwart's robes when she heard a horrible yell sound from Harry's compartment.

She sprang to her feet and yanked open the compartment doors she had closed to give the boys privacy to change. Just in time, a furry gray lump sailed through the open doorway and would have hit her in the face had she not jerked back in time to catch it.

It was Scabbers.

'What are you-' Shadow ogled at the scene in front of her. Ron and Harry were both being pummeled by two rather beefy kids while Draco Malfoy stood in the corner, smirking.

'Stop this!' Shadow stalked over to where Harry was dodging a punch. She tried to wrench the boy away from her brother and nearly got punched herself.

'You-' Shadow slammed her fist into the side of the boy's head and he flew across the room, crashing against the seats.

Everyone froze and turned to stare at her.

'Finally,' Shadow huffed and glowered at Draco. 'So are these your _friends_?'

He opened and closed his mouth several times before spluttering. 'What are you doing here?'

Shadow glared at him. 'This was the only compartment left with empty seats. Besides, I should be the one asking you that question, thank you very much.'

She glanced around at the boys' stupefied expressions and decided that humiliating Draco in front of so many friends and enemies wouldn't be particularly wise. Shadow sighed. 'Just leave, Draco, before this situation gets any messier.'

Draco looked from her to Harry, then to his friends - who both looked a bit dazed. 'Let's go,' he muttered.

When the compartment door finally slid shut, Shadow shoved Scabbers back at Ron. 'Can't a girl leave guys alone for more than a few minutes before they get into brawls?'

Ron and Harry merely gawped at her.

The compartment door opened again.

Shadow whirled around. 'Malfoy, I swear I'll - ' She blinked at the bushy-haired girl that stood at the entrance. It was the girl who had stopped by earlier to watch Ron attempt a spell. 'Oh, hello Hermione.'

Hermione stared around at the scattered sweets. 'What _has_ been going on?'

'Shadow just threw a bloke twice her height at the wall.' Ron's voice was awed.

_'What?'_

Shadow propped a hand on her hip. 'I'm not that short. He was only a couple inches taller.'

Hermione opened her mouth in shock, but before she could say anything Harry cut in. 'You've met Malfoy before?'

'What? Oh yeah. I, ah, lived at his place over the summer.'

'You _what?_'

'I've heard of his family,' said Ron darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the dark side.'

Harry looked at Shadow. 'You should stay away from him.'

Her eyebrow arched upwards. 'I'll do as I please, thank you.'

'Can I help you with something?' Ron asked Hermione, who still had her mouth open.

She snapped it shut. 'You've been fighting? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!'

'It wasn't our fault, we were just defending ourselves,' said Ron, scowling at her.

Hermione opened her mouth furiously to retort. Shadow was about roll her eyes when she saw her brother studying her intently, his mouth half-open to say something.

'Oh, I think I saw Trevor!' Shadow lied fervently before escaping the compartment again. She'd been frog-hunting for the whole train ride, and had only returned to grab her robes to change into, giving Harry no time to ask the questions he so clearly wanted to blurt out.

That frog was quickly becoming her best friend.

S

The Great Hall was magnificent.

There was no other word to describe it. Thousands of floating candles hovered over the four long tables filled with students. The ceiling was a velvety black, sprinkled with twinkling stars. According to Hermione, it had been enchanted to look like the sky outside.

It made Shadow want to run outside and lie in the grass so that she could stare at the sky all night.

'Potter, Harry!'

Shadow jerked herself back to attention. Harry was stepping forward to try on the Sorting Hat. All around him, students were hissing and craning their heads to try and get a good look at him. The famous Boy Who Lived. Potter.

Her heart pounded. She would be called next, only because she begged Dumbledore not to be called before her brother. After all, he didn't even know his sister was alive.

'GRYFFINDOR!' The hat shrieked.

The red-decked table erupted into cheers, the Weasley twins yelling, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!' Even people from other tables clapped, their eyes following Harry with something akin to awe.

Shadow swallowed as she dragged her gaze to the head table. Dumbledore sat there, along with Snape and all the other professors. The headmaster gave her a reassuring nod.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat to get the hall to be silent. Shadow wished she hadn't.

'Potter, Dawn!'

If it were possible, the silence was even more deafening than the cheers. Beside Ron, Harry had started and twisted in his seat to stare at the McGonagall as if he couldn't believe what he had heard.

Shadow grit her teeth and strode forward, looking at nothing but the ragged piece of cloth that sat on the stool. She took the ancient hat and gingerly put it over her head, glad that it slipped over her eyes.

'Why hello, Dawn Potter, so glad to know you're still alive,' the hat said snidely into her ear. She almost snorted.

'Rather interesting, your head. I think we can eliminate Hufflepuff though, you don't hold much value for generosity and kindness.' The hat paused. 'You're even more difficult to place than your brother, you know? You have plenty of courage and an excellent mind, but... I think I'll put you in SLYTHERIN!'

Shadow pulled off the hat in relief, barely noticing the cheers and stares she was getting as she walked to the Slytherin table. She glanced at the Gryffindor table to find both Harry and Ron staring at her, disbelief clear in their gazes.

She offered them a sad smile and then sat down beside the nearest Slytherin without looking at them.

When the sorting finally finished, Dumbledore stood up, his arms held wide and a large smile on his face. 'Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!'

Shadow smiled and clapped along with with the rest of the students.

'You never told me you were Potter's sister,' said a cool voice from beside her.

Shadow turned in surprise to find Draco sitting next to her.

'I thought you knew,' she replied, a little uncertainly.

Draco's silver eyes darkened to stormy gray. 'I guess my parents didn't consider it important enough to share with me.'

Shadow studied him. 'If it makes you feel any better, I didn't even tell Harry.'

Both of them turned to look at the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindor ghost was talking animatedly to Harry and Ron, but Harry was only nodding robotically and poking at his potatoes. He glanced up to lock gazes with Shadow.

She shrank back against Draco for a moment before straightening and mouthing, 'I'm sorry.'

Green eyes flashed in both anger and betrayal. Harry turned back to his food without giving any sign that he'd seen her.

'I'll have to talk to him later,' Shadow speared a piece of pork savagely.

'Well, you can do that after the feast.' Draco's voice was remarkably lighter, almost cheerful. 'First enjoy the food. Want to split some roast chicken?'

Shadow snorted and rolled her eyes at him. Boys.

After desert was served, Dumbledore gave his speech. By then, Shadow was already itching to get out of her seat so she could explain herself to her brother. Next to her, Draco was humming pleasantly to himself, seeming to find her discomfort amusing. She shot him a dark glare.

'...And now, bedtime. Off you trot!' Dumbledore finally finished.

Shadow was out of her seat before the students even began to stir. She weaved between the people, searching for Harry's messy black hair in the crowd. There.

She cornered him before he could slip to the front of the Gryffindor first-year group. 'I need to talk to you. Meet me by the lake before breakfast.' Shadow placed a hand on his arm.

And then darted away before he could say anything.

'Had a fun chat with Potter?' Draco drawled when she returned to his side.

'Shut up.' Shadow yawned.

Draco grinned. 'That's what I thought.'

S

Harry crossed his arms resolutely in front of him, staring at the open lake. 'What is there to say?'

'I'm sorry for not telling you.' Shadow gazed at him steadily, ignoring the whispering rustles of the wind. 'I didn't know I had a brother until a few weeks ago.' Okay, more like a few months ago, but he didn't need to know.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair. 'I thought you were dead. Everyone did.'

'Yeah, well.' Shadow spread her hands. 'Orphanages do tend to rescue abandoned babies, you know.'

Harry shook his head. 'Hagrid told me you disappeared even before Voldemort came. He said everyone was busy looking for you when he came to..." He didn't seem to be able to continue.

Shadow refused to feel guilty. 'I don't know where I was. I was only one years old. My earliest memories are of the orphanage.'

That was a lie, but he also didn't need to know that.

'Why didn't you tell me your real name on the train?'

Shadow sighed through her nose. 'Shadow's the nickname I got at the orphanage. I got used to it.'

Harry didn't seem to be able to find his anger anymore. After a long moment of silence, he asked, 'Do you remember our parents?'

'No.'

He glanced at her quickly, then away. 'I do.' Harry's voice was soft. 'Glimpses.'

'I don't envy you.'

Harry turned, startled. 'What?'

'Memories of things that were once were but are no more. They'll only haunt you and make you long for them. Because I don't have them, I don't really feel the sadness or the desire for revenge.' Maybe a little indignant though. 'In fact, I didn't really care when I found out I had a brother until I actually met you.

Harry snorted. 'I don't know whether or not I should feel insulted. How did my younger sister get so philosophical?'

'Who says I'm younger?' Shadow pretended to be offended.

Harry grinned. 'Hagrid told me I had a _younger_ sister.'

'What nonsense.'

The two siblings laughed beside the lake, the anger all but forgotten.

S

'Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' Snape asked suddenly.

Shadow looked up, thinking he was asking her, but he was looking at Harry.

Her brother looked blankly back at the teacher. 'I don't know, sir.'

Beside Shadow, Draco and the other Slytherins sniggered.

'Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything.' Snape sneered. 'Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?'

Shadow grit her teeth as Snape yet again ignored Hermione Granger's hand as she waved it beside Harry. Clearly, Snape hated her brother. But why? It couldn't be because of her, could it?

'I don't know, sir.' Harry looked like he was forcing himself not to look at Draco and the Slytherins, who were shaking with laughter.

Shadow smacked Draco in the chest with the back of her hand.

'Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?' Snape curled a lip. 'What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?'

Shadow gave a low snarl and raised her hand as well, though she had no clue what the answer was. Perhaps Snape would burn away from the force of her glare if he glanced at her.

He didn't.

'I don't know,' Harry said quietly. 'I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her?'

A few people laughed. Shadow winced. If Harry was to do anything else to infuriate Snape, it was making people laugh. He seemed to hate the sound of laughter.

'Sit down,' Snape snapped at Hermione, who had gone as far as stand up with her arm in the air. 'For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?'

Shadow, who had already scribbled down his words, narrowed her eyes as Snape said, 'And a point will be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter.'

That was enough. She stood, ignoring Draco's sudden tugging at her sleeve to make her sit back down. 'I don't think that was very fair, professor,' said Shadow coldly.

Everyone froze.

Snape turned slowly to her, his expression appropriate for one having eaten a lemon. 'What did you say?'

'I thought the point of a school was so that we would learn things. If we knew everything beforehand, it would completely defeat the point of Hogwarts. Why are you quizzing Harry things that are clearly something you should be teaching us instead? Besides, Harry was right. Hermione, who must have done some extensive reading, knew the answer. Why didn't you-'

'Enough!'

Snape's roar echoed around the dark dungeon.

'Two points from Slytherin,' Snape hissed as he stalked towards her. 'For Ms. Potter's insolence. Be thankful it's not more.'

This time, Shadow allowed Draco to drag her back down to her seat.

'What were you thinking?' Draco growled when Snape put them in a pair to mix a simple potion that cured boils.

'I wasn't,' Shadow replied frostily.

'Clearly,' he muttered. 'Don't stick up for Potter anymore. It'll cost us too many house points.'

Shadow leveled a look of deepest disgust at him. 'Harry is my brother. If you think I value house points over siblings, you clearly know nothing of me!'

With that, she turned her back on him and worked on the potion by herself.

Suddenly, clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville Longbottom, the clumsy Gryffindor, had somehow managed to melt his cauldron, causing the potion to spill across the floor. Within seconds, everyone was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

'Idiot boy!' Snape snarled, clearing the potion away with one wave of his wand. 'I supposed you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire? Take him to the hospital wing,' he spat at Seamus.

Then he rounded on on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville. 'You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong didn't you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor.'

Shadow surged to her feet, but Draco tackled her back into her seat.

'Let me go!' Shadow tried to yell, but he clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her shout.

Shadow swung an arm around and elbowed Draco in the face, forcing him to let go. She opened her mouth to growl at Snape, who had pointedly turned his back on the scuffle to write something on the board, but then saw Harry and Ron shaking their heads frantically.

'Don't,' Harry mouthed, swinging his head around so much his hair was flopping around the place, 'Not worth it.'

Shadow clenched her hands into fists, her face a cold mask of anger. Aware of the entire class's gaze on her, however, she slowly lowered herself back into her seat just as Snape turned around.

'You have ten more minutes to finish you potions,' was all he said, before sweeping back to his desk.

After class ended, Harry and Ron came up to her.

'Thanks for trying to defend me, Daw-Shadow,' said Harry. 'But it's not worth it. You'll lose friends from your house.'

All three of them glanced at the throng of green-clad students, many of whom were giving Shadow a look of deepest irritation.

'Though losing Malfoy wouldn't be too bad,' Ron muttered.

Shadow didn't say anything.

S

The next few months passed in a blur. Shadow soon discovered that magic came quite easily to her - at least she could keep up with most of Hermione's conversations. The only class that gave her any premonition was, surprisingly, Defense Against the Dark Arts. For some reason, whenever she went into the classroom, an old terror would knife through her, sending her mind to dark places. Perhaps all the talk of dark magic awoke painful memories.

Shadow spent most of her time alone, though Harry and Ron stayed with her whenever they could. Since the fiasco at potions, Draco had turned cold and unforgiving. He didn't stop Shadow from getting into arguments with Snape, which resulted in multiple detentions for her. He would make snide remarks about her, go out of his way to publicly humiliate her, and just generally treat her as a Slytherin would treat a Gryffindor.

Though Shadow knew a few words would soothe his injured pride, she didn't apologize. His actions were costing her count of friends though. Slytherins avoided her or treated her the same way, just to avoid Malfoy's wrath. Now, Shadow pretty much only talked with people from the other class. It caused the hissing of 'house-traitor' more than once.

Shadow told herself it didn't matter. She'd shouldered worse.

That's what she told herself anyways.

Christmas came and went. Harry, Ron and Hermione - who had become great friends with them after the troll attack - were always discussing Nicolas Flamel, the Gringotts break-in, Snape, and the Philosopher's Stone.

Shadow didn't participate. She didn't really care about things beyond herself and the people she liked. She was just Slytherin like that.

At breakfast sometime in late spring, Shadow was heading towards the library when she heard a familiar drawl.

'Wow, look at the Gryffindor hourglass! It's so low it'd be scraping my feet had there not been a bottom.'

Guffaws of laughter rippled around the hallway as more kids stopped to look at the hourglasses. Shadow sighed. She had told Harry not to meddle with the dragon affair, but damn his kind heart. Well, this was where kindness got you these days.

'You know what happened? Potter and his friends got caught sneaking on the Astronomy tower, trying to send off some dragon they'd been nursing.'

'Oh, do me a favor and shut up, Malfoy.' Shadow walked into the crowded hallway, scattering the nearest people.

Draco's eyes gleamed when he spotted her. 'Look who's here! Potter's sent his baby sister to defend him!'

Snorts of laughter sounded from the crowd.

Shadow looked at him coolly. 'Honestly, Malfoy? I know you need to bully people to get your self-esteem up, but this is unbecoming of you.'

'Oh is it?' Draco sneered. 'You're one to berate people on their tempers. Last I heard, you were cleaning the slime in Snape's dungeon!'

Shadow gave him a cold look. 'You're pathetic.'

She turned to push through the crowd of people that had gathered around them. It was only a flicker in the nearest person's eyes that gave her the split-second warning.

'Locomotor wibbly!'

Shadow threw herself out of the way and the spell flared by her ear, missing her. Barely.

She lifted her wand. 'Furnunculus!'

Draco ducked just in time, but Crabbe - who had been standing behind him - wasn't so lucky. Fur sprouted from his face and arms, causing him to howl in pain.

Before Draco could recover, Shadow was on her feet. 'Locomotor mortis!'

The spell hit Draco fully. He cursed and tripped as his feet froze together.

Before Draco could utter a retorting spell, his face flushed with anger, another voice reached them. 'What is this?'

Shadow winced inwardly. Anyone would have been better than Professor McGonagall.

The students dispersed, leaving the livid teacher a full view of the three Slytherins; Draco on the floor, Shadow standing over him, and Crabbe, still covered in fur.

'How dare you! Dueling in the halls! Shadow, I thought you knew better than this!' McGonagall shrieked.

'He was insulting my brother,' said Shadow calmly.

'Still, there are more civil ways to deal with that. Goyle, help Crabbe to the hospital wing. Malfoy, Potter, you will join Harry and the others in their detention tonight at eleven o'clock.' She pointed a finger at each of them. 'Now get to class!'

_At least I didn't lose house points,_ Shadow thought as she hurried off.

When she went down to the entrance hall that night, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco were already there. Tension was thick in the air, as if an argument had just ended.

'Shadow! What are you doing here?' Harry exclaimed.

Draco gave Shadow a side-long snide look.

She snorted. 'Someone was yapping about missing Gryffindor rubies, so I told them they could stuff their-'

She broke off as loud, shuffling footsteps announced Filch's approach. Beside her, Harry and Neville grinned at her, while Draco flushed pink.

'Follow me,' said Filch, after a suspicious squint. He lit a lamp and lead them outside. 'I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?' he leered. 'Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me... It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out...'

Shadow tuned him out, noticing the direction they were taking. She frowned. 'Doesn't this way lead to the Forbidden Forest?' Shadow interrupted Filch in the middle of his speech.

Filch halted and smiled at them nastily. 'That's right. And I'll be much mistaken if you all come out in one piece.'

At this, Neville let out a little moan and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

'The Forest?' he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. 'We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard.'

'That's your lookout, isn't it?' Filch's voice cracked with glee. 'Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?'

Hagrid came striding towards them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow and a quiver of arrows. 'Abou' time,' he said. 'I bin waitin' fer half an hour already.'

'I'll be back by dawn,' said Filch nastily, 'for what's left of them.' He turned and started back towards the castle, lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Draco now turned to Hagrid.

'I'm not going int hat Forest.' Panic laced the edge of his voice.

'Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts,' Hagrid informed him. 'Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it.'

'But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-'

'Scared, Malfoy?' Shadow drawled.

'I'm not scared!' Draco rounded on her furiously. 'I'm just-'

'Save it for later.' Shadow patted him on an arm and then turned to Hagrid. She stifled a laugh at the outraged choking noises Draco made behind her.

'Hello Hagrid, I don't believe we've properly met. I'm Harry's sister. Anyways, what are we going to do in the Forest?'

Hagrid gave her an uncertain smile before leading them towards the mass of dark, foreboding trees. 'Look there,' he said, 'see that silvery stuff shinin' on the ground? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by something. Second time this week - I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing and help it.'

'And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?' Draco tried to sound nonchalant, but he fooled nobody.

'There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang. Right, let's split into groups...'

Somehow, Shadow found herself in a group with Draco, Neville, and Fang. They searched the ground for silver traces in silence, Neville jumping at every noise and Draco trying not to twitch. Shadow forged ahead, unease building in the back of her head. She wondered if Draco's twitchiness was infectious.

'You know my father told me students died here before.'

Shadow turned, surprised by how far away Draco's voice was. Beside her, Fang whined and turned in a circle impatiently. She saw Draco stalk around Neville, the poor Gryffindor boy already so scared he looked like was going to wet himself. Then the blond head ducked into the bushes, out of sight.

Neville whirled around.

'Malfoy?' The round-faced boy stuttered out. 'Shadow?'

Knowing what was going to happen next, Shadow broke into a run, but Draco leapt out before she could stop him.

'Boo!'

'Aaahh!' Neville screamed and tripped backwards, red flares shooting from his wand.

Draco doubled over in laughter. 'And I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave!'

Shadow glowered at him and helped Neville up.

Draco wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. 'Did you hear his scream? It sounded like a girl's!'

Just then, Hagrid came thundering over, crossbow at the ready.

'What happened?'

Draco collapsed into laughter again and Neville turned bright red. Hagrid looked from one boy to another, his face growing dark. 'This ain't ruddy funny!'

'We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you three were making.' Hagrid growled when they reunited when Harry and Hermione. 'Right, we're changin' groups - Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang, Shadow, an' this idiot.'

So Shadow set off into the heart of the Forest with Draco, Harry, and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the Forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so dense.

'The blood is getting thicker,' Harry murmured beside her. He threw his arm out to bar her path, causing Draco to crash into her.

'Look.' Harry said, ignoring Draco's indignant huff.

Shadow peered around him, where something bright white was gleaming on the ground.

The unicorn was dead, its beautiful mane spread pearly white over the dark leaves and its legs stuck out in odd angles.

But Shadow wasn't looking at the unicorn.

Her head throbbed, as if long suppressed memories were trying to blast its way out. She felt an old fear rise up inside her, a fear she hadn't felt in a long time.

Harry stepped forward, but Shadow yanked him back.

Out of the darkness, a hooded figure glided into view. It slithered over to the unicorn and lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side. And began to drink its blood.

'AAARRRGH!' Draco yelled and bolted - so did Fang.

Shadow tried to pull Harry after them, all her senses screaming for her to run, but her brother suddenly crumpled, clutching his head and yelling in pain.

The hooded figure rose swiftly and lunged for them.

'Get back!' Shadow shrieked, stumbling at the black tide of fear that threatened to consume her. 'Incendio!'

Flames shot out of her wand, blinding the clearing. The hooded figure swooped backwards to avoid the fire and Shadow suddenly felt as if icy claws had dug themselves into her brain.

_'We meet again, Shadow...' _A terribly familiar voice hissed in her head. _'And this time, you won't be able to surprise me...'_

Shadow screamed, and the world went black.

S

'If she sleeps any longer, she'll miss the exams.'

'Quiet, Ron.'

'I wish I could miss the exams.'

'Why? Don't you want to see how much you learned?'

'No.'

Shadow squinted against the sunlight, slowly coming to consciousness. She was in the hospital wing, the pristine white walls overly cheery.

She tilted her head to see Hermione and Ron arguing. Beside them, Harry stared out the window, his forehead furrowed. He must know that _he_ was back. And gaining power.

'What a convenient time for me to wake up.' Shadow's voice was raspy from disuse. How long had she been unconscious? 'I think I'll just fall back asleep so that I will be saved from the boredom of exams.'

'Shadow!'

'You're awake!'

'How are you feeling?' Harry leaned over, concern written all over his face in broad strokes.

'Terrible.' Shadow tried to sit up, but a splitting headache sliced through her concentration. The pain brought back echoes of her fear. 'And in a great need to see Professor Dumbledore.'

Madam Pomfrey walked in, her arms laden with strange bottles.

'Oh, Shadow, you're awake! Excellent!' She put down the bottles and bustled over. 'Right, drink this.' A cup filled with dark liquid appeared on the table beside Shadow's bed. 'And eat this.' She unwrapped a bar of chocolate and offered it to her. 'I don't know what happened to you, but the effects are quite similar to a dementor's.'

'A what?' asked Hermione, but Madam Pomfrey had already hustled away.

Shadow drank the medicine with one gulp, made a face at its bitter taste, then stuffed the chocolate in her mouth. It was a very convenient excuse not to speak when Harry started to tell her what happened after she passed out.

'Right.' Shadow said, as soon as she swallowed the last of the chocolate. 'Can I see Dumbledore now?'

Harry frowned. 'Shadow, can you at least tell us what happened to you?'

Shadow didn't look at him. 'I need to see Dumbledore,' she repeated.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but Madam Pomfrey came in and said, 'Shadow, the headmaster said to send you up to his office as soon as you awake. Here, I'll take you there.'

Shadow jumped out of bed. Finally something was going her way.

'Sherbet lemon.'

The ugly gargoyle sprang aside, and Madam Pomfrey gestured for Shadow to enter. 'Professor Dumbledore will be waiting just inside.'

Shadow sprang up the spiral staircase and threw open the heaven wooden door without bothering to knock. She had to tell him that Voldemort was here, in this school. He was living off of someone else, but she hadn't figured out who. Which person could hide the hideous -

'Ah, Shadow. I was expecting you.'

'Professor Dumbledore, I -'

The headmaster turned around, and Shadow halted abruptly at the sight of who he had been talking to.

'H-hello Shadow,' stuttered Professor Quirrell.

She stared at him, her eyes straying to his giant purple turban. She hadn't given it much thought, believing the ridiculous story of him stuffing garlic in it to ward off vampires. But if that story was a bluff, a cover for something much worse...

A high, cruel laugh whispered in her ear, and she felt as if the room had dropped twenty degrees. Heart thundering in her ears, Shadow didn't say another word.

She turned and ran.

S

Shadow wasn't quite sure how she completed the exams when her heart was frozen with fear and dread, but she made it. Even the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam passed without much excitement, though Shadow had avoided Quirrell's gaze at all costs.

Perhaps it was the relaxed atmosphere after the exams that lulled her into the delusion of safety. Or maybe it was Draco's fault, for making her so irritated that she had temporarily forgotten the threat. But whatever the reason, Shadow was caught completely by surprise when Professor Quirrell stepped around the corner and clamped an iron grip on her elbow the moment she stormed into the library.

'Come with me, Shadow.'

There was no more stutter in his voice, and it was unusually cold.

Shadow stumbled back, fear slamming through her once again.

'No... Let me go. Let me go!'

Quirrel muffled her screams with a hand. Shadow thrashed, terrified by the lack of warmth in his hands. Pain cleaved her mind, shattering all the careful barriers she had raised around herself. A torrent terrifying memories swamped her until she was drowning... drowning...

_She was running down the streets, trying to escape the horrible voice that constantly whispered behind her head, trying to wrest control from her. She flew over the dirty cobblestones, ignoring the pain as stones bit into her tiny feet._

_ 'No, no, no. I won't listen to you!' Shadow cried, clamping two hands over her ears._

_ Her black hair was stringy and unwashed, her dirt-smeared nightgown equally filthy. She ran, her back bent at the terrible pain in her head._

_ 'Go away!' yelled Shadow._

_ Suddenly, she slammed into someone, causing her to bounce off and land on her butt in front of them. Shadow looked up to see a kindly woman bend over her, reaching a hand out to help her up._

_ 'Are you okay, dear? Where are your parents?'_

_ 'Kill,' the voice hissed in her head. 'Kill her!'_

_ 'No!' Shadow screamed as she felt her gut wrench painfully._

_ The woman stiffened, then clutched at her throat as if she couldn't breath. She spasmed, tipping to the ground with her mouth opening and closing, gasping for air that wouldn't come, her eyes stretched wide. _

_ 'Stop! Stop!' Shadow scrambled over to the woman. 'Let her go!'_

_ 'It's not me that's killing her,' the voice told her in cold amusement. 'You're the one killing her.'_

_ 'No. No! Stop! Stop it!'_

_ Shadow collapsed to the ground, shuddering with sobs. Beside her, the woman was already deathly still, her hands till clenched around her throat, her staring eyes wide and accusing._

_ A cold laugh sounded from all around them. It sounded very pleased. _

_ 'My little murderer.' _

Shadow was wrenched out of the memory with a vicious slap. But what she opened her eyes to wasn't any better.

'Ah, dearest Shadow. My master has wanted your death for a while.'

She scrambled backwards away from Quirrell, only to find a stone wall behind her.

'Get away from me!'

'However, the Dark Lord has a special punishment planned for you. Your soul is abnormally bright, and it strengthens him, you know? He wants to feed on that light one last time before he goes down to get the Philosopher's Stone.'

'No!' Shadow yelled, wondering if anyone would hear her.

'He will drain you, as punishment for disobeying him all those years ago. It was nice of Snape and Dumbledore to fetch you out of your safe haven and plop you right in front of he.' Quirrell sneered and walked towards her, his hands outstretched.

'Stupefy!' Shadow wrenched out her wand, but Quirrell merely deflected it.

'For you, master.'

His hands touched Shadow's forehead and she screamed.

Ice replaced her blood as the dreaded presence drilled into her mind.

She didn't know for how long the burning pain blasted through her system and ripped her to shreds. She didn't know when exactly it stopped. She only remembered retreating back into the corner of her mind, curling against wave after wave of the cold, cruel presence.

The last thing she heard was, 'Dumbledore received the owl, master. We should go.'

Then everything dissolved into shadows.


	2. Chapter 2: Second Year

**Second Year :)**

* * *

Two men with very questionable fashion sense walked briskly down the dark London streets, drawing strange looks from the other passersby. One was wearing a white smock and worn pants, all covered by a long trench-coat. The other one was wearing an exotic purple suit that accentuated his magnificent white beard and half-moon spectacles.

'How is she?' The one wearing the smock-shirt asked.

His companion gave him a measured look. 'Recovering rapidly. She'll be out of St. Mungo's soon.'

'Yet you still worry.' It was a statement, not a question.

The tall, old man sighed. 'Yes.'

They walked another block in silence, passing two dubious-looking boys who snickered and pointed at the peculiar men. The dark-haired man glowered fearsomely at them until they scarpered.

He turned back to the bearded man. 'Well? Are you going to explain or not?'

The man brushed an imaginary piece of lint off his lavender sleeves. 'It is not her health I am worried about. She will recover completely soon enough. It's what's going on inside her admirable head that I am worried about.'

'Why?'

'She was able to host Voldemort's soul without experiencing excruciating pain or going insane. You've seen what happens when a love-filled soul touches an evil one, they do not mix - the reason why Quirrell could not touch Harry. But Shadow...' The old man gazed unseeingly around the quiet street, uneasiness etched in every line on his face.

'You think her soul is dark, that she was born with a measure of evilness?' The other man asked in disbelief. 'Well I'm sorry to say this, Dumbledore, but not all people are born as good and noble as you. Given what Shadow's been through, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some darkness in her. Besides, she hasn't had any reason to love before she came to Hogwarts. Now that she's discovered she has a brother' - here, the man's lip curled with dislike - 'she is starting to learn how to care for more than herself. That's probably why it hurt her more the second time Voldemort tried to possess her.'

The old man - Dumbledore - looked at the younger man with bemusement, his blue eyes twinkling. 'Why, Severus, you _have_ grown to care for her after all! I've never heard you defend someone so quickly nor so thoroughly before.'

Severus opened his mouth as if he was going to object, then clearly decided against it.

'She... reminds me of Lily,' he said grudgingly after a moment. 'I look at her and I see Lily Evan's daughter, not Potter's.'

Dumbledore smiled rather sadly. 'Ah, what love does to us.'

Severus shifted uncomfortably before saying, 'So where will you put her for the rest of the summer? At Potter's place?'

'No,' Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back. 'I'm afraid Shadow will have to go into hiding for the rest of the summer.'

'What?'

'We do not know what Voldemort is doing or planning to do, and while he is still out there, Shadow is in terrible danger. He will be looking for a new host body now that Quirrel is dead, and the first one he'll try to get will be Shadow, because I'm fairly certain that for some reason beyond our understanding, feeding on her soul makes him stronger than usual.' His sharp gaze swept the streets. 'I will be teaching her Occlumency, along with other useful defensive magic.'

'Occlumency?' Severus exclaimed, before glancing around and lowering his voice. 'That's not something a _second year_ can master, Dumbledore.'

'Oh, I'm sure young Shadow is full of surprises. She has a very sharp mind, and a very calm, rational personality. You saw her marks for the final exam this year. Quite impressive, don't you think?'

'Academics and Occlumency are two very different things, Dumbledore!'

'Different, yes, but both are necessary in her case. Until she can protect herself, she will only be safest if no one knows where she is.'

'So you will lock her up in some unknown place?' Severus demanded. 'Until the start of the next school term, where she will return to Hogwarts and be in the same vulnerable position as she was last year? What use would that do?'

'And that, Severus, is precisely why Shadow cannot return to Hogwarts this year.'

S

Shadow looked down at the families and individuals hustling around the crowded platforms of King's Cross. They were all striding purposefully around, none of them - at least to her - looking bored.

An indignant hoot drew the gazes of dozens of people as a blond family pushed their way through large glass entrance of the train station, a dark eagle-owl ruffling its feathers in the cage held by a boy with cold silver eyes.

Shadow looked away as if the sight burned her eyes. Of all the wizarding families she had watched come and disappear into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, this one made her feel the worst.

Just thinking about the fact that Draco Malfoy, the world's biggest prat, would be spending time at Hogwarts joking with his friends and bullying other people while she sat at home waiting for Dumbledore to finish whatever headmasters did in the day made Shadow's blood simmer. She supposed that having Albus Dumbledore as her personal tutor was some great honor, but she'd prefer even Professor Binns if it meant she could go back to Hogwarts.

Oh, the reasons Dumbledore gave her had seemed sound enough. She didn't want to be victim to Voldemort again. She had lost a month of her life in comatose after her last encounter with the Dark Lord, and she'd give anything to make sure that never happened again.

But, she mourned, why did she have to give up Hogwarts?

'Only until you master defending yourself,' Dumbledore had said. Well, that could take years.

Even now, Shadow knew that Kingsley Shacklebolt was somewhere nearby, watching out for her. Though she had been disillusioned by Dumbledore himself, Snape had insisted she take a guard as well when she went out.

Overprotective bat.

Shadow sighed and pushed away from the glass railing. Time to begin her first day of imprisonment.

'Kingsley,' she called quietly. In a moment, the tall wizard materialized by her side, his gold earring winking at her.

'Ready to go to the Ministry's, Shadow?' he asked in his deep voice.

She nodded mutely. Every morning, she would go and be taught by a Ministry officer, so that she wouldn't fall behind when she returned to Hogwarts. The Ministry had taken to this idea rather eagerly, as if they too missed being in school. She had so many eager teachers that Dumbledore had had to politely decline some of their offers.

The world twisted as Kingsley took her arm and disapparated. When they landed, Shadow was unable to stop the look of amazement and delight from trampling all over her face.

A dark, majestic hall stretched out in front of her, the mahogany polished wooden floor leading to the golden Fountain of Magical Brethren. On either side of her, emerald flames erupted from the fireplaces that flanked the hall as Ministry workers flowed in and out.

Peacock-green walls arched upwards, its tiles gilded with gold. In the middle of black-clad Ministry workers and vibrantly-colored flying memos, a gaudy telephone box descended from nowhere, it's vivid red making it seem extremely out of place.

'The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day...' a cool, female voice emanated from the box as a harassed-looking woman hurried out.

'This way,' Kingsley said, sauntering over to a desk labeled "Security".

Behind the desk, a wizard hid behind the day's Daily Prophet, only his bald head showing behind the huge picture of a Quidditch star that dominated the front page. Before Shadow could make out the heading, he put down the paper.

'Visitor?' The security wizard asked, eyeing Shadow and her obvious youth.

'Yes.' Kingsley picked up the man's abandoned paper.

'Name?'

'Dawn Potter.'

The wizard sat up as if he had received an electric shot and squinted more closely at her, his eyes taking in her tangle of dark hair to her brilliant emerald eyes. Shadow straightened her shirt nervously under his scrutiny.

'We're here on educational business.' Kingsley's impatient prod drew the man's eyes away from her, and he gave the funny-looking machine on his desk a poke of his wand.

A square silver badge slid out, with _Dawn Potter, Educational Business_ printed on it.

'I, ah, need to check you for concealment of weapons,' said the wizard as Shadow pinned the badge onto the front of her shirt. He waved a long, flexible golden rod over Shadow's front and back. 'Now, wand please.'

Shadow produced her wand. The wizard dropped it on to a strange brass instrument that vibrated, then spat out a narrow strip of paper. He tore it off and brought it up to his nose to read it.

'Nine inches, willow and phoenix feather, been in use for a year. That correct?'

'Yes.'

'Right.' He pinned the slip onto a small brass spike. 'Have a pleasant day!'

'Thank you, Eric.' Kingsley put down the paper and steered Shadow away. 'Amelia Bones is waiting for you on Level 2. She's volunteered a lot of her free time to be your Transfiguration teacher this year, and we managed to find a spare room in the Auror Offices for you to hold your classes.'

Shadow said nothing.

They traveled down in a rickety lift packed with wizards and witches until the cool, female voice said, 'Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement.'

Heavy oak doors revealed a cluttered open area divided into cubicles, which was buzzing with talk and laughter. Memos were zooming in and out of the cubicles like miniature rockets. A lopsided sign on the nearest cubicle read: _Auror Headquarters._

'Kingsley!' A woman with spiky purple hair jogged up to them. 'You're late! Madam Bones has been waiting for at least fifteen minutes!'

Then she glanced at Shadow. 'Nice to meet you, Dawn. I'm Tonks, by the way.'

Before Shadow could tell her not to call her that, Kingsley said, 'She prefers Shadow. You're not the only one who doesn't like their first name.'

Tonks beamed at Shadow. 'I like you already!'

Kingsley snorted. 'Come on, we should not keep Madam Bones waiting.'

They led her around the corner to a lonely door at the far side of the room. Inside, a stern-looking witch sat behind the single desk in the bare room. She had a rather square jaw and impressive monocles, and though she was dressed in simple black robes, no one could doubt she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and a member of the Wizengamot.

'Ms. Potter, so glad you could make it.' Madam Bones stood up, a smile softening her severe features. 'Though I heard that you prefer to be called Shadow.'

Shadow gave a nervous smile. 'Yes, madam.'

The witch turned to where Kingsley and Tonks were both hovering by the entrance. 'Shoo. I must begin my class.'

Tonks grinned. 'Yes, professor.'

When the door closed again, Madam Bones conjured another seat on the other side of the table. 'Have a seat, Shadow.'

She obeyed, watching rather apprehensively as Madam Bones looked over the leafs of paper she had spread on the desk.

'I had a word with Professor McGonagall earlier, and she said you were a very bright student. Your exam results show that too.' She picked up a long parchment. 'You were first in your year for two of the subjects, second in another three, third in Herbology, and the only outlier on here is Defense Against the Dark Arts, which you got fifth.' She rolled up the paper. 'And given the situation of your, ah, corrupted teacher, I'd say that was a tremendous feat.'

Madam Bones looked at Shadow, as if expecting her to say something. All she said was, 'Can I see that? I didn't get to see my exam results last year.'

'Oh, of course.' She handed Shadow the scroll.

Shadow looked over the results of her First Year. She had gotten first in Transfiguration and Charms, much to her surprise. For History of Magic and Astronomy, she had came second to Hermione Granger, much to no one's surprise. But for Potions, however, Shadow gawked at the name listed before her. Draco Malfoy. How had that twit gotten first in his year?

'Problem?' Madam Bones asked, who was watching Shadow was hawk-like intensity.

Shadow hastily shut her mouth. 'No, I'm just a little... surprised.'

Madam Bones chuckled, but didn't mention it further. 'On to Transfiguration. I have here the Second Year textbook, but I think we'll start by reviewing last year's topics first...'

And thus, Shadow's school year started. After Transfiguration, a Gilbert Wimple came in to teach her Charms. Then John Dawlish was introduced as her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (who, by far, was much better than Quirrell), while Miraphora Mina became her Astronomy teacher. Phoebus Penrose taught her Herbology, a lively young witch who stood in stark contrast to her old History of Magic teacher.

Then, at the end of the very long day, Shadow's Potions teacher walked in. It was then that Shadow finally understood why Draco Malfoy had gotten such high grades in Potions.

Lucius Malfoy glided in, his dark coat whispering as he shut the door. He gave Shadow's dingy classroom an undisguised look of disgust.

Shadow, who had been in the midst of setting out her Potions kit, froze at the sight of his sleek blond head. She had only met Malfoy's father once, during the week she had stayed at their home before going to Hogwarts last year. He had remained cool and aloof during the entire time, though he hadn't been mean. But looking at his son, Shadow supposed it'd be too naive to hope he hid pleasant spirit behind his high and mighty demeanor.

'Ms. Potter.' Lucius Malfoy sat down gingerly on plain wooden chair opposite her. 'Sit down.'

Shadow set down her jar of beetle eyes and took a seat. Lucius surveyed her array of equipment with an expert eye, and Shadow got the feeling he was slightly mollified by the quality and precision of her set-up. Her cauldron was made of obsidian and in-laid with silver, a birthday gift from Snape that had left her baffled, and she had gotten her ingredients in the best apothecary shop.

'I have high expectations for someone who came second only to my son,' he stated bluntly. 'And though you will probably never catch up to Draco, it is important you stay one of the top students in your grade. You are a Slytherin after all.'

Well then.

'In this class, we will work ahead of the curriculum. Today I would like you to try creating the Draught of Peace, though I highly doubt you will succeed. It is on page 176 of this textbook.' He produced a thick green book Shadow had never seen before.

When she leaned in to read the title, her eyebrows flew up. This was the fifth year textbook. Was he seriously expecting her to be able to make a potion three years past her level?

Shadow looked up to see Lucius watching her with narrowed eyes. It was clearly a test to see whether or not she would get into his good books.

So she said, 'Yes, sir,' and got to work.

It was the hardest and most complicated potion Shadow had ever done. With over thirty ingredients, all specific in their size and color, Shadow had to ask Lucius for some the ingredients in his extensive potion kit. He gave them to her without a word, alternating between reading through the gigantic stack of paper he had brought with him and watching Shadow mix her potion.

She was proud of the results when she finally completed the steaming and bubbling potion. It was more of a pale gray than the silvery-white description in the textbook, but it was close enough to pass at first glance - though Shadow had a feeling it probably would have turned a wonky blue if Lucius hadn't stepped in a few times.

He inspected her sample of potion in silence long enough for Shadow to start strangling her potion rag. It suddenly seemed much more important that she did well on this potion. For some reason, Shadow wanted Lucius Malfoy's approval.

A small part of her questioned her sanity.

'An acceptable job for one's first time,' said Lucius at last, extricating a quiet sigh of relief from Shadow. 'But you added too much rose oil and too little flux weed. Remember, precision is key in potion-making. I would recommend using the flat of your blade instead of the mallet when bursting the mushroom, and step six works better if you cut off the roots of asphodel before you add it.' He handed back her bottle. 'This would probably get an Acceptable in OWLs, but since you are only in your second year, I'd say it's an Exceeding.' Lucius smiled for the first time, though it was still rather chilly.

'I would like you to read through your potion book tonight, Shadow. Tomorrow I'll test you on the basics of second year potions to see whether we can fully move on to more in-depth topics.' And then he swept out the door.

Shadow stared after him, taken aback by his abrupt departure. Then, slowly gathering up her stuff, she almost crashed into Kingsley when she came out of the room.

'Still alive?' asked the bald wizard. 'Excellent. You're going stay at this place for the first month until we find another safe house for you.' He passed her a note.

It was blank. Then slowly, slanted pink letters appeared. _Sup, Shadow._ _My place._

Shadow looked up to see Tonk's hair turn bubble-gum pink. The auror winked at her.

'Oh.' Shadow offered the note back to Kingsley, who immediately burned it to ash. So she was going to be roommates with an overenthusiastic young woman with crazy-colored hair? What fun.

S

Six hours later, Shadow paced in front of Tonk's fireplace, anxiously checking her watch. Eight o'clock had came and passed almost thirty minutes ago. It was unlike the headmaster to be late.

Shadow glanced once again at the cold fireplace, which was framed with twines of shocking neon. Though Tonk's place was modestly sized (capable of fitting four people maximum, if you crammed), she had managed to fill it with an alarming variety of color. The couch in the living room changed color every time you sat on it, and not a single item in her house was a boring brown or steady gray.

Fortunately, the guest room only had a deep purple wallpaper and a rainbow bed. Everything else was more of a tame color, like the silver office chair and the inky desk.

The fiery clock hanging nearby (which clashed violently with the blinding orange wallpaper) chimed eight thirty just as the fireplace erupted into green flames.

'Professor Dumbledore!' blurted Shadow as a tall frame unfolded itself.

'Apologies for my tardiness, Shadow. I was held up by your brother's rather dramatic entrance at school today.' The headmaster carefully dusted the ashes off his midnight-blue robes.

'What?'

Dumbledore handed her a newspaper. 'Harry and Ron Weasley missed the train because the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters closed to them, and they chose an alternate means of getting to school.' He seated himself onto the sofa, which promptly turned hot pink.

Shadow looked down at the paper. It was the Evening Prophet, and the headline read: _FLYING FORD ANGELIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES._

'A _flying car?_' Shadow squawked.

'Indeed.' Dumbledore steepled his fingers and looked at her over them.

Shadow's mind flashed through a multitude of reactions. Shock. Amusement. Envy. Disapproval.

Then it settled on an even more worrisome thought. 'He's not expelled is he?'

Dumbledore released her from the clutches of his piercing gaze, giving Shadow the feeling she had passed some sort of test. 'No, but if he breaks anymore school rules, he will be.' The wizard got to his feet and walked towards Tonk's sky-blue kitchen. 'Would you like some apple juice, Shadow?' His voice drifted over.

'Uh, yes please. Sir.' Shadow tripped over the change of topics.

Dumbledore returned with two filled glasses. 'Please have a seat, Shadow.'

She sat.

'What I'll be teaching you over the course of this year will be advanced beyond all your current magical abilities. Most likely, I will teach you extensive defensive magic against mental intrusion.' Here, he gave her a searching look.

Shadow waited for him to continue.

'But since you are still in your second-year of magical education, I believe we will progress quite slowly. So I will only focus on two topics - though they are one of the two hardest and most obscure branches of magic. First, as Kingsley probably would have told you, I want you to learn Occlumency - which will block Voldemort from ever entering your mind again. Then, after you have become an accomplished Occlumens, I want you to become an Animagus.'

Utter silence met his words.

Then, 'You want me to become an Animagus?'

'Yes.' Dumbledore sipped at his apple juice.

'Why?'

'Because it seems to me that Voldemort forged some sort of connection with you when he, ah, used you as his host body. He's able to sense your whereabouts and thoughts easier than most - probably because he's been in your head before - and becoming an animal will make that infinitely more difficult. It may even break the connection, since some part of you would have changed through the process.'

Shadow contemplated this. 'I thought the process of becoming an Animagus took a really long time. And that it was extremely dangerous.'

Dumbledore smiled. 'I had a chat with Professor McGonagall, and we believe there may be spells that will help speed up the progress. As long as I am here, nothing should go wrong.'

'Oh, okay.' Shadow glanced at Dumbledore. 'But Occlumency first, right?'

'Correct.' Dumbledore stood up. 'However, I must impress on you that in the practice of Occlumency there will be an incredibly high chance you will relieve many unwanted memories, and that I will also see them. Think carefully, Shadow. I will only proceed if you are willing.'

Shadow felt herself go pale, but she managed to say, 'I am willing, Professor Dumbledore.'

'Excellent. Now I want you to empty your mind of all thought and emotion. Occlumency requires a great deal of will power and mental discipline. Those who are very capable of compartmentalizing their life and emotions find Occlumency easier than those who, as Professor Snape would say, wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves. Are you ready, Shadow?'

She closed her eyes and thought of a colorless landscape. Of a polar bear in a snowstorm. Of a blank white sheet of parchment. Anything but the writhing apprehension in her stomach. 'Ready.'

'Legilimens!'

_I feel nothing. I am empty. I can compartmentalize my life and emotions. _Shadow chanted in her head, keeping an iron grip on her galloping fear. _I am blank. Dumbledore can't read me. No one can. I've had more than enough practice..._

But that thought led her mind down the wrong path. A tear ripped through the blank canvas in her mind, flooding her world with sudden darkness.

_You've had practice because of me,_ a cold voice laughed in her ear, and Shadow's concentration broke.

_Shadow was sprawled across the marble floor, clutching her head as agony blasted through her._

_ 'I told you to sneak in quietly without anyone noticing!' The snake-like voice hissed in her head. 'I didn't tell you to alert the wizard to your presence so that he could make a run for it! You have failed me!'_

_ 'No, don't-'_

'Shadow!'

She started and sat up, almost hitting Dumbledore's chin as he bent over her. Judging by how short the memory had gone, he must've pulled out of her mind the moment he got through her defenses.

'Sorry,' said Shadow shakily. 'I didn't mean to get distracted.'

Dumbledore handed her the untouched cup of apple juice. 'Do not apologize. No one masters Occlumency overnight. You did extraordinarily well for someone your age.' He sat her down on the sofa (making it turn sapphire). 'However, I think that was enough taste of it today. I don't want to scare you away.'

'I'm not scared.' Shadow tried to hide the faint tremor in her hands as she brought the apple juice to her lips.

Dumbledore's amused look told her she hadn't succeeded. 'Luckily, I brought something else for us to do for the remainder of the hour.' He pulled out a thin, worn, blue leather book.

Shadow squinted suspiciously at the title. 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard? Aren't those children's bedtime stories?'

'Yes,' Dumbledore smiled serenely at her. 'I will read it to you. You will draw whatever comes to your mind.' He waved his wand, a quill and parchment appearing in front of her.

'This is reminding me of psychiatrist sessions,' Shadowed muttered, but she picked up the quill nonetheless.

'Pardon?' Dumbledore looked up from where he was flipping through the book.

'It's what muggles call doctors who treat people with... mental illnesses.' Shadow shrugged. 'Mrs. Gasket had one check up on me when I first came to the orphanage. She thought I was too quiet.'

Dumbledore gave her a shrewd look. 'Do not think for a second that I think something is wrong with you, Shadow. I just feel as if your life has been all too serious so far. You've been forced to mature too quickly, and it has cost you your childhood. So,' he lifted the children's book, 'I'm here to give it back to you.'

Shadow's searched his serene face. 'Are you sure you're not just trying to see how I think? That's what psychiatrists want when they tell people to draw.'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'Perhaps that is one of my goals as well, but I feel that you will gain much from listening to these fantastic tales.'

And so, Shadow listened and drew as Dumbledore read her a tale about a queer witch called Babbitty Rabbitty.

That night, she slept without dreams for the first time in a long while.

S

Dear Harry,

How's school so far? Dumbledore told me you decided to fly a car to Hogwarts instead of taking the train this year. I don't know what to think. Actually, I do. I'm jealous.

Lucius Malfoy (he's my Potion's tutor) also talked about your infamous arrival all week. He harped on about the Whomping Willow and how your car had damaged it. I think he's been trying to get Ron's dad fired after Dumbledore made it clear he wouldn't be expelling you.

Are Ron and Hermione doing okay?

My lessons are okay so far. I've met some pretty nice witches and wizards from the Ministry. However, I still really miss Hogwarts. I can't tell you where I'm living, but it reminds me of very colorful jungle.

Write back quickly, please. I'm already getting lonely.

Love,

Shadow

L

Dear Shadow,

This is Hermione. I'm writing for Harry because he's currently in detention for the ridiculous stunt he and Ron pulled at the start of the year. But then, I'm not sure if it can be called detention because he's just helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail. He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, by the way, and he's such a talented and charming wizard! I wish you could have met him.

Ron and I are fine, though Ron's wand has been causing him some trouble. It broke when they landed in the Whomping Willow, and the Spellotape isn't helping one bit. Also, Ron got a Howler this morning from his mum. He's humiliated.

I'm also totally envious that you get to meet so many famous ministry workers. It must be fascinating to learn from so many different people (though I'm sorry that Lucius Malfoy is one of your tutors). I heard from Susan Bones that her aunt, Amelia Bones, was teaching you transfiguration. She's an internationally respected witch, I hope you will tell me what you learn from her!

How are your extra lessons with Dumbledore going?

Love,

Hermione

L

Dear Hermione,

I went to the bookstore to look for Gilderoy Lockhart's books (after hearing so much about him from you) and found them very interesting. It's finally a textbook that is engaging to read, though I think he may have exaggerated a bit on some of his achievements.

Yeah, Madam Bones has been a great teacher. She knows so much stuff, and she's really able to put what we're learning into perspective. I especially love it when she slips off topic and starts talking about court cases she's judged. It's a much more fascinating way to learn how the wizarding world works.

Dumbledore's been teaching me Occlumency, and he think's I'll master it by the end of the month. He's also been reading children's tales to me, claiming to be patching up my shady childhood. But it's super obvious that all the stories he chooses to tell me have some moral background, and that he's trying to strengthen my sense of right and wrong.

Tell Harry and Ron hello for me.

Love,

Shadow

L

Dear Shadow,

This is Harry. Sorry for not answering your first letter, Hermione had already sent it off when I came back from detention.

Also, Lockhart is an absolute pain. You mentioned that you thought he was a bit of an exaggeration. Well, in class he doesn't teach us _anything_. Ron swears that the only thing he learned so far was not to set free Cornish pixies. Lockhart has no clue what he's doing, and a lot of people says he's a fraud.

Actually, since Hermione's yelling at me in a very shrill voice, I guess I should add that half the female population at this school is madly in love with him. But I know you're better than that.

**You better be.**

Sorry, that was Ron. Anyways, guess what else happened this week? Draco Malfoy got onto the Slytherin Quidditch team! And his father bought the whole team new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. I'm a bit worried about it - they're the fastest brooms gold can buy.

**And he's a slimy git.**

Malfoy also called Hermione a 'mudblood'. Ron tried to curse him, but his broken wand backfired and he spent the afternoon belching slugs.

**I take that back. He's even worse. He's a -**

ANYWAYS. We should go, the bell rings in two minutes. See you soon, I hope!

Love,

Harry

L

Dear Harry,

Yeah, Mr. Malfoy told me all about how his son got onto the Quidditch team. He told me that I should join next year.

Ugh, it's almost Halloween! Even though the Ministry make sure I never starve, I miss Hogwart's feasts so badly. You guys are all so lucky.

Love,

Shadow

PS. I think Gilderoy Lockhart is incredibly good-looking, Ron.

PPS. I hope you didn't have a heart attack, I was just kidding. He looks like a bit of a wimp to me.

L

Dear Harry,

Dumbledore just told me what happened to Mrs. Norris! Are you alright? Why were you there during the feast? What does the writing say on the wall?

And why aren't you replying?

Love,

Shadow

L

Dear Shadow,

We weren't at the Halloween Feast because I promised Nearly Headless Nick I'd attend his Deathday Party. Terrible mistake. There's no food, music, or entertainment suitable for living people.

The writing on the wall says: 'The Chamber of Secrets have been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware. ' Have you heard of this Chamber of Secrets?

As for why I was there, I heard a voice right after the Deathday Party, and I followed it all the way up to find Mrs. Norris's petrified body. I didn't tell Dumbledore about the voice though.

Do you think I'm going crazy?

Love,

Harry

PS. Don't join the Slytherin Quidditch team, or you'll force me to choose between being a dutiful, caring older brother and a loyal Gryffindor.

L

Dear Harry,

No, you're not crazy. Though I've sometimes questioned your ability to think rationally, you're not insane.

I asked my teachers about the Chamber of Secrets. They said that Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, left the school because the other founders refused to be more selective about the students they accepted (he wanted it to only be pure-bloods). Before he left, legend says that he built a secret chamber that hides a monster, and it can only be awakened by Slytherin's heir to purge the school of dirty blood.

If this legend is true, be careful.

I moved to a different safehouse last week. It's so different from my previous place that I find the plain brown and white colors as disorienting as the royal purple wallpaper and rainbow bedsheets I had in my old hideout.

Take care!

Love,

Shadow

PS. Then, as my duty to be an annoying younger sister, I must definitely join next year!

L

Dear Shadow,

Gee, thanks. I guess an insult to my intelligence is better than an insult to my sanity.

We had the Quidditch match against Slytherin, and we won! I caught the snitch right from under Malfoy's nose. It was amazing. There was also a cursed bludger that seemed bent on killing me (and only me) for the entire match, and it broke my arm. It wouldn't have been that bad, except Lockhart removed all the bones from my arms, thinking he was helping. I had to spend a painful night in the Hospital Wing.

There's been another attack. Colin Creevey, a first-year Gryffindor, was petrified on his way up to visit me. Ron, Hermione, and I think Malfoy's the one setting the Slytherin monster loose.

What do you think?

Love,

Harry

PS. What am I supposed to do when you lose all your matches, then? Should I keep handkerchiefs on hand at all times during the game just in case you fall to tears of frustration?

L

Dear Harry,

I highly doubt it's Malfoy. I would have heard about it by now if they were related to Salazar Slytherin. Also, these attacks seem too subtle to be him. Or maybe I should say unsubtle.

Don't go looking for trouble!

Love,

Shadow

PS. Who says I'll lose all my matches? Soon, you'll be the one who'll need a handkerchief!

L

Dear Shadow,

You know I never have to look for trouble. It usually finds me.

Everyone here thinks I'm Slytherin's heir now because they found out I could speak to snakes. It's getting a bit tiresome, seeing everyone dodge out of my way in the corridors.

Love,

Harry

L

Dear Harry,

Are you going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas? Because if you are, then I can go with the Bones to Russia. Madam Bones thinks it'll be a good experience for me to see how the famous czar wizard transfigured all his enemies into immobile statues. After that, Narcissa Malfoy invited me to stay at Malfoy Manor because Draco isn't coming back this holiday.

People will believe in anything these days, it's disgusting. Don't worry, it'll pass. All truths come to light eventually.

Dumbledore says I've mastered Occlumency already, but he won't start the next topic until after the break. I can't wait!

Love,

Shadow

L

Dear Shadow,

No, sorry, I'll be staying at Hogwarts this Christmas. Hermione and Ron are both staying as well, because we're going to take this chance to try and squeeze an answer out of Malfoy.

Love,

Harry

PS. I'm glad you've found something to do over the holidays, but do you have to go to the Malfoys? From what I've heard about Lucius Malfoy, I don't think they're the type you want to mix with.

L

Dear Shadow,

Are you still alive? I haven't heard from you in a while. How's Russia?

It turned out that Malfoy wasn't the culprit. His father knows who opened it fifty years ago, but he doesn't know who's opening it now.

Hermione's in the hospital wing right now because the we used Polyjuice Potion and she accidentally added cat fur into her portion. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey didn't ask too many questions about the fur and tail.

Love,

Harry

L

Dear Harry,

Russia was great! It's so different from Britain - so much more open space. I learned a lot about history there (probably more than I'll ever learn from Professor Binns), and the transfigured statues were astonishing. After thousands of years, they're still breathing! But Madam Bones said they're technically not alive - something about their souls having departed a long time ago.

Too bad, I'm already at Malfoy Manor. They're actually quite nice to me - I think I managed to impress Mr. Malfoy enough that he overcame my apparent lowly half-blood status.

Polyjuice?! How did you manage to make that? It's almost sixth-year level!

I'm going to start the process of becoming an Animagus tomorrow!

Love,

Shadow

L

Shadow,

Dumbledore got sacked and Hagrid's in Azakaban.

Harry

S

Shadow wore down a circular path around the center of the room as she strode anxiously from one side to the next. Where was everybody? What had happened?

She had been in the middle of a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with John Dawlish when Kingsley had burst in. The two aurors had exchanged a brief, whispered conversation before Dawlish had tore out of the room, leaving the door banging in his wake.

Kingsley had given her a short 'stay here' and followed suit.

Of course, Shadow didn't stay put. She left the room the moment she had packed all her stuff together, only to find the Auror Department deserted and the double oaken doors locked shut.

Shadow stepped off her path of circular pacing and started searching through the Aurors' desks once more. Maybe there was a clue she had missed.

It took her third time round the desks to find the crumpled note hidden tossed hastily between the towering stacks of newspaper clippings on Kingsley's desk. She smoothed it out and found one cryptic line of writing:

_Ginny Weasley has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Hogwarts is evacuating._

Shadow stared uncomprehendingly at the words. Ron's little sister? Evacuating? Did that mean they were closing?

Suddenly a bone-chilling laughter sounded somewhere far off in the back of her mind, the voice filled with breath-taking, ice-cold venom. And though Shadow felt no pain this time - the Occlumency training must really have worked - she felt an arrow of fear shoot through her. Somehow, she knew with deep-set certainty that Harry was in great danger.

Without a second thought, Shadow whirled around and ran for the door. 'Alohomora!'

She crashed into the door, but it didn't give. 'Deprimo!'

That did it. A tremendous gust of wind smashed opened the door, and Shadow sprinted through it. She headed not for the main entrance of the Ministry, but to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She had overheard Tonks and Kingsley discussing a wild Thestral that had gotten tangled into the muggle telephone wires, wrecking havoc and sewing mahem across the city until the Ministry officials had managed to untangle it. Presumably, it was somewhere here.

It took ten of her precious minutes to finally find the leathery skeletal winged horse at the back of the darkest cells in the Department. It raised its head at her approach, watching her with dark, intelligent eyes.

'Right,' Shadow growled. 'I need a ride. You want to be free. Win-win, as long as you don't harm me. Because if you do, I'll have no choice but to bring you straight back here, got that?'

She unlocked the cell and pushed the door wide open. 'If you don't want to cooperate, now would be a good time to mention it.'

The thestral regarded here curiously for a moment, then stepped out of the cell towards her. Shadow refused to budge, desperately ignoring her thundering heart.

The dark horse swung its head back and forth for a moment, then turned around to bare its back to her.

Shadow sagged in relief. 'Good, boy. Er, horse.'

Trying to squash down the rest of her trepidation, she grabbed a fist full of the thestral's mane and hoisted herself onto its bony back. 'I need to get to Hogwarts,' she murmured to it as soon as she was seated.

Without warning, the thestral spun around and leapt towards what seemed to be a very solid wall.

'Woah!' Shadow tried to yank it back, but the thestral charged forward.

They _should _have hit the wall, but instead, they passed straight through it. Before Shadow could so much as look surprised, they had leaped skyward.

_It's an illusion. _Shadow thought, looking back down at the stone wall they had emerged from. _To hide... what? _She glanced around. They were flying up a very wide tube, the circular walls lined with barred caves. _More terrible beasts?_

She didn't want to know. Nudging the thestral into even greater speed, Shadow looked up to see a small circular patch of darkness against the walls illuminated by flickering torches. The night sky.

_Oh right, the Ministry's underground._ Shadow realized a little late.

Then finally, _finally, _the thestral burst out of the tunnel and blurred past the country, moving towards Hogwarts at an unbelievable speed. It didn't take long for Shadow to spot the magnificent castle of her school, the surrounding lake reflecting the wavering moon.

_I missed this so much,_ Shadow thought, momentarily distracted.

The thestral touched down a little further from Hagrid's hut, reminding Shadow of her urgency. She leapt off - or tried to. The moment her feet hit the ground, her knees buckled and she keeled over to the floor, unable to move until inertia caught up with her.

'Right.' Shadow pushed herself back onto her unsteady feet. The thestral was still standing beside her. It might have been her imagination, but it seemed to look a touch amused.

'Shush.' Shadow risked a pat on the skeletal horse's snout. 'Thank you. You can go now.'

Without turning to see if the thestral took flight again, Shadow sprinted for the castle.

_Where am I going? _Shadow asked herself as she hurled herself up the winding staircases.

_Moaning Myrtle's bathroom._ The answer came back to her as quickly as if it had always been there. She didn't question it.

Shadow flung open the door to the unused toilets and almost ran straight through Moaning Myrtle.

'Who are you?' The ghost girl squinted at her through thick glasses.

'Harry's sister.' Shadow danced impatiently from foot to foot, trying to find anything out of the ordinary in the bathroom. 'Where did he go?'

Myrtle looked at her for a moment longer, then pointed to a sink on the far side of the bathroom. 'He went down the sink.'

'_Down_ the sink?' Shadow hurried over to examine it.

'Yes. He said something in a strange language. Almost like hissing. Then the sink sank down to expose a large pipe. Harry, Weasley and the good-looking teacher went down it almost half an hour ago.'

'Hissing?' Shadow refocused on the sink. Aha, there was the snake. It was tiny, scratched into the side of the faucet head.

So. How does one speak snake?

'He made a sound something like this,' Moaning Myrtle said helpfully, demonstrating a strange series of hissing and spitting.

Suddenly, the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink sank out of sight, leaving a large man-sized pipe gaping in the middle of the bathroom.

'Thanks, Myrtle!' Shadow beamed, then jumped down the pipe.

It was like rushing down a dark, endless, slimy slide. She was falling, deeper and deeper below the school. Down and down the twisting, black eternity.

Abruptly, the surface beneath her ended, sending her shooting out of the pipe and landing on the ground with a audible crunch.

'Who's there?' A voice said before Shadow had caught her breath.

Wand-light flooded over her, filling her vision with a blinding blue-white orb.

'Shadow! What are you doing here?'

It was Ron. His red hair was almost unrecognizable, because he was so covered in dust and slime. Behind him, Shadow recognized the famous Gilderoy Lockhart, even though he seemed a bit lost at the moment.

'Where's Harry?' she demanded.

Ron hesitated, then pointed at a towering pile of rocks and boulders on the other side of the chamber. 'There was a cave-in. He's on the other side, trying to find Ginny.'

Shadow pushed past him. There was a small hole on the left side of the rock wall, where Ron had evidently tried to dig through.

'I can't fit through it, it'll take a couple more rocks to -'

'I can.' Shadow stuck her wand into her pocket and pushed her head roughly through the hole. 'Barely.'

With a lot of heaving and shoving from Ron's side, Shadow was finally able to squeeze across to the other side.

'Keep digging!' Shadow called over her shoulder as she picked herself up and moved more cautiously down the tunnel.

'Shadow! The Slytherin monster's a Basilisk! Don't look at it!' Ron's warning sounded faint.

'Got it!'

Shadow reached a wall, where two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

Summoning the memory of Myrtle's strange garble of 's' sounds, Shadow tried her best to imitate it. It took her several tries, but on the third, the serpents slithered off to opposite rims of the wall.

Then, with an ominous clank, the wall split smoothly down the middle and opened.

S

Mad hissing filled the tunnel. Beyond the doors, it sounded as if something was thrashing wildly off the pillars.

'Harry!' Shadow ran forward.

Utter chaos met her eyes. An enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, filled the entire chamber, its wide torso coiled around various pillars. Blood streamed down its face, dripping crimson rain as it shook itself. A moment later, Shadow saw why. Somehow, one of the Basilisk's lethal eyes had been punctured.

The serpent raised itself high in the air, its great blunt head poised to strike. Shadow's heart stuttered for a moment when she saw its target.

Harry was flattened to the gleaming floor, the Sorting Hat jammed on his head. Even as Shadow watched, her brother ducked another lash of the Basilisk's tail.

'Harry!' Shadow screamed as the tail missed him by inches. Her brother started and almost got a face full of basilisk venom.

'Plan, plan. Need a plan!' Shadow muttered as she dashed down the railed stairs towards her brother.

Suddenly, a scarlet phoenix soared towards her, screeching a haunting note. It dropped a curved, silver blade at her feet, its handle a deep emerald green. Not sure what such a tiny blade would do against such a vast monster, Shadow scooped it up and ran towards the serpent anyways, trying to look large and fearsome.

'Get away from my brother!'

The serpent chose the exact moment to strike, it's head stabbing downwards at Harry faster than lightning. Somehow, Harry managed to roll out of the way.

'Stop!' Desperately, Shadow hurled the silver knife at the Basilisk.

Miraculously, it sank hilt-deep into the Basilisk's remaining eye.

The giant snake jerked back, pained and angry hissing echoing clamorously in the large chamber. It's great tail whipped around in a blur of motion, and Shadow was slammed backwards into a wall.

'Oi!' Shadow heard Harry shout through her haze of pain. She tried to sit up and help him, but black spots blotted her vision and she slumped back against the wall.

The sound of a yell of pain drove her to her feet again, but she could only take a few tottering steps before crashing down again. Her vision flickered, and she gasped for breath, feeling like her lungs had punctured. 'Harry?' She tried to yell, but it only came out as a rasp. The polished marble floor dipped forward alarmingly close.

'You're dead, Harry Potter.'

It was the familiar ice-cold voice that leant fear and strength to Shadow's muscles, allowing her to peel her face away from the floor and look up.

Harry was on his knees, drenched completely in blood. He had somehow managed to get hold of a silver ruby sword, which was also covered in blood. In front of him, the body of the Basilisk splayed out before the statue of Slytherin. Beside it stood a wavering image of a young, dark, handsome man. But Shadow had no problem recognizing the cold, red gleam in his eyes.

Voldemort was here.

Her brother slid to the floor, and Shadow finally noticed the giant fang that protruded from Harry's arm. _Basilisk fang,_ she realized in horror. _It's extremely poisonous. _She tried to speak, but the basilisk's tail seemed to have crushed something important in her throat and chest, because nothing came out. Only a great throbbing pain.

'...I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter,' Voldemort was saying.

'Take your time. I'm in no hurry.' He glanced over at where Shadow was trying to crawl towards her brother. 'How fitting it is that I should have both of the Potter siblings here, dying at the same time. The two of you will be with your dear Mudblood mother soon again. She bought you both twelve years of borrowed time, but Lord Voldemort got you in the end...'

Shadow, who was watching Harry and had barely registered a word Voldemort said, frowned. Were Harry's eyes clearing?

'Get away, bird,' said the young mirage of Voldemort suddenly. 'Get away from him. I said, _get away_!' There was a loud bang, and Fawkes took flight from where he had been standing beside Harry.

'Phoenix tears,' Voldemort said quietly, staring at Harry. 'Of course... healing powers... I forgot.'

Shadow felt a surge of hope. Harry wasn't dying. Maybe they could still make it out of here.

'But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter... you and me...' Voldemort lifted the wand in his hand.

Shadow lunged over to where a small, black diary lay in a bloody puddle. She had no idea what role it played in this mess, but it must be important to have gotten here. She snatched it up, and hurled it over at Harry.

It landed on Harry's lap, and for a split second, both her brother and Voldemort stared at it. Then, Harry's arm darted out to seize the Basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Voldemort was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing...

And then he was gone. Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady _drip drip _of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

Slowly, Shadow dragged herself over to her brother. They stared at the pierced diary together for a couple of dazed seconds, then wordlessly helped each other up. Harry gathered up his wand and the Sorting Hat, while Shadow retrieved the glittering sword and silver knife from the body of the basilisk.

A faint moan came from the feet of Slytherin's statue. Ginny Weasley, who Shadow hadn't noticed before, was stirring. As Harry hurried towards her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes travelled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Shadow, who stood in the middle of the chamber, a bloodstained blade in each hand, before finally resting on Harry and the diary in his hands. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

'Harry - oh, Harry - I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I _c-couldn't_ say it in front of Percy. It was _me,_ Harry - but I - I swear I d-didn't mean to - R-Riddle made me, he t-took over me - and - _how _did you kill that - that thing? W-Where's Riddle? The last thing I remember is him c-coming out of the diary - '

'It's all right,' said Harry, holding up the diary and showing Ginny the fang hole. 'Riddle's finished. Look! Him _and _the Basilisk.'

'C'mon, Ginny,' Shadow limped over, careful to keep the blood-spattered blades away from the terrified girl. 'Let's get out of here.'

'I'm going to be expelled!' Ginny wept as Harry and Shadow helped her awkwardly to her feet. 'I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and - _w-what'll Mum and Dad say?'_

'You won't be expelled, Ginny.' Shadow stepped over a motionless coil of the dead basilisk to where the phoenix was hovering in the Chamber entrance. 'That was Lord Voldemort, and many older wizards have been tricked by him too -'

Unfortunately, Shadow's legs chose this moment to give in, and she buckled forwards, only managing to stop herself from falling face-first onto the floor by grabbing onto Harry's arm.

'You're hurt,' he said in concern.

Shadow opened her mouth to contradict him, but painful coughing overtook her. When she lifted her hand away from her lips, they were covered in blood.

'I won't die.' Shadow staved off Harry's inevitable exclamation. 'My lungs are just a bit banged up.'

Unfortunately, that was the wrong thing to say, because Ginny's face crumpled in guilt.

'It's not your fault, Ginny.' Shadow hurried to reassure her. 'I didn't know what I was getting into when I came to rescue Harry.'

They passed the snake wall again and began to hear sounds of rocks scraping rocks.

'Ron!' Harry yelled, speeding up towards the sound of the other Weasley's audible grunts as he shifted rocks. 'Ginny's okay! I've got her!'

Ron give a strangled cheer and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall.

'_Ginny!_' Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rocks to pull her through first. 'You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened?'

He tried to hug her but Ginny held him off, sobbing.

'But you're okay, Ginny,' said Ron, beaming at her. 'It's over now, it's - where did that bird come from?'

Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

'He's Dumbledore's,' said Harry, squeezing through after Shadow.

'And how come you've got a _sword?_' said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapons in Shadow's hands.

'Long story.'

'We'll explain later.' Harry said quickly. 'Where's Lockhart?'

The professor had lost all his memories. He sat near the mouth of the pipe, humming placidly to himself. Shadow smirked.

'How do we get back out?' Harry asked, peering up the long, dark tunnel.

Fawkes the phoenix swept past Shadow and fluttered in front of Harry, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long, golden tail feathers.

'He looks like he wants you to grab hold...' said Ron, looking perplexed. 'But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull you up there.'

'Fawkes,' said Harry, 'isn't an ordinary bird.' He turned quickly to the others. 'We've got to hold on to each other.'

Shadow tucked the ruby sword and the emerald dagger into her belt, then took hold of Ginny and Lockhart's hands.

Harry reached out to hold Fawke's tail feathers, and an extraodinary lightness spread over them. Within seconds, they were flying upwards through the pipe, until all five of them hit the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Myrtle goggled at them.

'You're alive,' she said blankly to Harry.

'There's no need to sound so disappointed,' he said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

'Oh, well... I'd just been thinking. If you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet,' said Myrtle, blushing silver.

Shadow and Ron shared a look of pure amusement.

Ah, how much she loved Hogwarts.

S

Shadow sat, sandwiched between Harry and Ron, feeling like if she got any happier, her heart would burst.

Though she had been to several Hogwarts feasts before, Shadow had never been to one quite like this. It felt as if the school was compensating for all the feasts she had missed this year by throwing an extra wild one. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebrations lasted all night. Shadow, who was wearing one of Harry's spare T-shirts, didn't feel one bit out of place. Madam Pomfrey had fixed up her three broken ribs, and she laughed heartily along with everyone else.

'The Chamber of Secrets is no more. A toast to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Dawn Potter for their act of incredible braver, skill, and love. Without them, Hogwarts would not have continued to open.'

Thunderous clapping and shouting echoed around the Great Hall, many students following Dumbledore and raising their glasses towards where Shadow, Harry, and Ron sat, blushing furiously. Beside them, the Gryffindors chanted their names, patting them on the back and slapping high-fives.

Shadow felt intoxicated with joy.

'For their achievements, all three will be granted the Special Awards for Services to the School, and each will earn two hundred points apiece for their respective houses. And even though Shadow didn't attend Hogwarts this school year, her points will count towards Slytherin.'

The students erupted into cheers again, this time notably louder because more of the Slytherin house had joined in. Though Harry and Ron's four hundred points secured Gryffindor the House Cup for the second year running, two hundred more house points couldn't hurt.

Shadow looked over at the green-decked table and locked gazes with Draco Malfoy. His gray eyes were narrowed with anger and jealousy, his mouth curled into a bitter sneer.

Shadow grinned cheerfully back.

She was finally home.


	3. Chapter 3: Third Year

**Third Year :)**

* * *

'Uh oh.'

Harry Potter scrambled backwards on his bed as a murky green-colored book scuttled sideways on his sheets and toppled off the edge of the bed with a loud clunk. It shuffled swiftly across the room, making faint growling noises along the way.

Two owls, one snowy white and one a dark, molting gray, watched with interest as the dark-haired boy leaped down from his bed and knelt down beside where the strange book had taken refuge under his desk. He tentatively stretched out a groping hand into the darkness.

'Ouch!'

The book snapped shut on his hands and then flapped past him, still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around and threw himself forward, but the green book was faster than it looked. It skittered past him and headed towards the opposite side of the room.

Which just happened to be where the door was.

Harry ran forward, jumbled thoughts of the book biting and tearing its way through the Dursley's pristine house propelling him to even greater speed. If Uncle Vernon found out that he'd been studying magic at night, and that his friends had sent him birthday presents (including the gnashing book), then he'd probably only see the door of the closet beneath the stairs for the rest of the summer.

However, before Harry reached the scampering book, something dark and furry shot out of nowhere. It pounced on the book with ferocious speed, and a storm of hissing broke out as the book tried to escape.

'Be quiet!' Harry whispered desperately, snatching at his blankets and throwing it over the loud scuffle, muting the noises.

Uncle Vernon gave a sleepy grunt in the room next door.

The writhing blankets stilled to a soft quivering. Harry approached cautiously, slowly lifting the blanket.

A small, black head poked out. It was a cat, its large gray eyes blinking innocently up at him.

Harry pulled off the rest of the blanket. The black cat was sitting on the book, holding it down tightly with its claws. The book heaved against the weight of the cat but it couldn't unseat it.

'Right.' Harry hurried over to his drawer to find an old belt, and carefully bound the shuddering book shut.

He collapsed onto the bed, reaching for the note that had came with the suspicious gift.

_Hagrid thinks a biting book will come in useful?_ Harry wondered, scanning the card.

The black cat jumped up onto the bed beside him and pawed at the note. Harry looked down at it, then back at the card, then offered it to the cat. The feline looked at the messily scrawled message.

He swore he heard it snort.

The cat fixed its gray gaze on Harry, the unwavering stare strangely familiar.

Before he could pinpoint what the cat reminded him of, something blocked the moonlight from his window.

Harry looked up.

There was another owl hovering outside the glass. No, not an owl, a hawk. A large paper box was tied to its feet, and judging from the lathered flapping of its wings, the box wasn't light.

Harry hurried over to let the obsidian bird in. It was Nightshade, his twin sister's prized pet. He hadn't heard from her in a while.

After she was relieved of her burden, Nightshade flew over to land beside the black cat. Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, hopped back indignantly when the hawk's wings clipped her.

Harry untied the silver ribbon from the box. When he saw what was inside it, he gasped. It was a small birthday cake, creamy white frosting spread over the delicious-looking chocolate base.

_Happy birthday, brother!_ Shadow had written in green icing.

She had drawn a smiley face underneath the message. Harry squinted. Why were there whiskers on it?

A funny choking sound drew his eyes to the bed. The black cat was shaking, its gray eyes narrowed. Harry was already on his feet before he realized that the cat was laughing at him.

'Mrow-ow-ow.' The cat did its best to imitate a smile, its eyes slanted in amusement.

Harry sat onto the floor so that he was eye-level with the mirthful feline. Now he could see that it was the eyes that was familiar. Not so much the color, but the almond shape that had a slight slant to it.

'Shadow?' asked Harry in disbelief.

The cat rolled over onto its back, now shuddering so much with amusement that it made the whole bed quivered. Even as Harry watched, the cat grew and morphed into something much larger, until it was a black-haired girl that lay gasping with laughter.

'You should have seen your face!' Shadow choked out, her bright green eyes - the same shape as the cat's - sparkling with hilarity. What she saw in Harry's still stupefied expression, however, sent her straight back into a fit of giggles so loud that she had to stuff the blanket in her mouth to stifle the noise.

'You're... You're... You're an animagus?' Harry finally spluttered out.

Shadow wiped tears from her eyes. 'Yeah. I just turned two days ago. Dumbledore's spells really do work, though there was a strange process of having to keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth for an entire month.'

'So you can turn into a cat anytime you want now?' asked Harry, still not able to wrap his mind around the fact that his sister was in Privet Drive, and that she could turn into a cat.

'Yeah. It's actually quite nice, you know. The world is a lot simpler to a cat's eyes.' Shadow gave him a cheeky smile and slid off the bed. 'Sleep, Harry. It's almost three in the morning. There be plenty of time to talk later.'

'Are you staying here?' Harry moved to the bed.

'Yep,' Shadow smirked. 'But I'm staying as a cat. I don't think it'd sit well with our dear aunt and uncle if their long-dead niece suddenly showed up at the door.'

She shut the curtains, drenching the room in darkness. Harry laid down on the bed, straining to see where his sister was.

'Shadow?' he asked after several minutes of unsuccessful searching.

A meow sounded somewhere to the side of the bed. Harry shifted and reached down until his fingers encountered soft fur. She was curled up on the rug beside the bed, a soft, soothing purr rumbling from her chest.

Harry settled back down into his pillow, grinning at the ceiling. Of all the birthday presents he had received, this was the best of all.

He was no longer alone at Privet Drive.

S

Shadow stalked stealthily through the tall grass, her dark ears pricked forward. There was a mouse up ahead, the faint scraping noises informing her that it was nibbling on a seed. It was just beyond that spontaneous bit of dandelion a few paces ahead of her.

She sank into a crouch and paused for a few more seconds, double-checking her calculations, then exploded into a leap.

The mouse squealed and ran, but Shadow scooped it up by the tail. She regarded the tiny rodent with amusement. Its terrified squeaking made its whiskers quiver, the dull gray-brown body shuddering as it tried to swing free. Shadow gave it a cat-cackle before tossing it back into the grass.

Being an Animagus was so free.

Harry and the Dursleys were eating lunch. Usually, her brother would sneak some leftovers up for her, but Shadow wasn't particularly hungry right now; she was feeling a little stir-crazy. No wonder Harry hated the summer so much. She had only been at Privet Drive for a week and she was already itching to go back to the magic world.

Spending time with her brother was fun though. In the mornings they'd work on homework together, pretending to be 'asleep' until at least eleven o'clock everyday. After breakfast, they would go to the neglected neighborhood park, which was usually abandoned because of the intense heat during the afternoon. There, they'd play Exploding Snap and regular muggle card games until hunger drove them back indoors. After lunch, they'd go upstairs into the rooms to play on the wizarding chess-set Shadow had brought with her, making sure that the Dursleys were otherwise occupied beforehand. Then in the evening, they'd just do whatever they wanted to do, though they usually just ended up scheming how to get Uncle Vernon's signature onto Harry's Hogsmeade permission slip. Shadow, who technically had no legal guardian, had gotten her's signed by Snape a while ago.

Shadow glanced up at the sky. The sun had moved a good inch since she had come outside. Harry was probably looking for her.

She trotted up the house and leaped through the kitchen window. Aunt Petunia, who Shadow thought must've been adopted since she looked nothing like the pictures she'd seen of Lily Evans, was doing her daily mop down of the dining room, so Shadow hopped off the counter and darted upstairs.

When she reached Harry's room, she found him clearing all the birthday cards and wizard belongings into the loose floorboard with his homework.

'What're you doing?' Shadow asked once she'd changed back to a human.

Harry turned, looking extremely gloomy. 'Aunt Marge is visiting. She's Uncle Vernon's sister and a complete nightmare. But I made a deal with Uncle Vernon that if I acted like a normal person for a week, he'd sign my Hogsmeade permission slip.'

A faint tapping sounded from the window before Shadow could think of anything to say. Nightshade was perched on the windowsill, a scroll of parchment tied to her leg.

Shadow let the hawk in, taking the letter from her. A familiar, slanting font greeted her.

_Dear Shadow,_

_I hope you're having a pleasant time with your brother, I'm sure he's found your presence very comforting._

_However, I'm sorry to say that I must cut this visit short. The Ministry would like to discuss the plans of your third-year education with you._

_Kingsley will come to pick you up at the park in Little Whinging at one o'clock in the evening._

_Professor Dumbledore_

'Looks like you can't stay either,' Harry looked from her to Hedwig's empty cage. 'It's almost one o'clock, you should go.'

'Harry...'

Her brother held up a hand. 'It's okay. I'll survive.'

So Shadow gave him a quick hug, and gathered the few belongings she had brought with her. She turned into a cat with a faint _pop_, gave Harry one last meow, and exited through the window.

Kingsley was already there when Shadow arrived at the park. He looked as out of place sitting on one of the children's swing as a penguin in the Sahara, his gold-stud earring flashing in the sunlight.

'Shadow,' the black wizard greeted the cat. 'Let's go, the Minister is waiting.' He picked her up, ignoring her outraged meow of protest, and disapparated.

When they reappeared, Shadow wriggled out of Kingsley's arms, digging her claws in for a good measure. She leapt to the floor, almost crashing into a wooden door.

Kingsley strolled past her, completely unperturbed by the scratches on his hands, and knocked.

The door swung inwards, framing a tall, thin wizard with half-moon spectacles.

'Come in, Kingsley.' Dumbledore said amiably, stepping aside for the auror to pass. 'Shadow, thank you for coming to promptly.'

She turned back into a human. 'Professor Dumbledore.'

Inside the room, there were three more people. Snape lurked in the corner, his dark robes blending in with the shadows. Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Shadow's old Transfiguration tutor, stood near the door, bent over a piece of newspaper. In the center of the room, a portly man was twirling his green bowler hat.

'Ah, Shadow! Glad to see you, glad to see you.' The man smiled jovially at her, though she saw the speed of the spinning bowler hat pick up pace. 'I am Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic.'

'It's good to meet you at last, minister.'

'Have a seat, everyone.' Dumbledore waved his wand and three plush sofas appeared.

They all sat, Shadow beside Madam Bones, Dumbledore beside Snape, while Kingsley sat beside the minister.

'We're here, Shadow,' Dumbledore said, after Fudge failed to begin the conversation, 'To discuss where you're going to go for this third school year.'

Shadow frowned. 'I've already mastered Occlumency and become an Animagus. Can't I go back to Hogwarts?'

'Yes, that's what I would have said last year. However, due to unfortunate circumstances...' Dumbledore trailed off, shooting the minister a swift look.

Fudge heaved a sigh, his bowler hat falling limply in his hands. 'A prisoner escaped Azkaban last week.'

'What?'

'Have you heard of Sirius Black, Shadow?' Madam Bones asked, spreading out the Daily Prophet she had been reading earlier. On the front page, a deranged-looking man with deep, sunken eyes stared out of it, his filthy hair hanging in a matted curtain around his waxy face.

Shadow started to shake her head no, then remembered something. 'He was on the muggle news, wasn't he?'

'Yes, we had to inform the muggle Prime Minister about this as well, since Black is a particularly dangerous prisoner.' Fudge looked depressed.

'So what's that got to do with me?'

'Sirius Black is notorious for being a very strong supporter of the Dark Lord,' Snape spoke for the first time. 'That he broke out of Azkaban only after twelve years is suspicious.'

Shadow looked at them incredulously. 'You think he's after me? That's stupid. He would be after Harry, not me. I disappeared long before Harry.'

'Yes, you are correct. However, you are...' Fudge trailed off, clearly at lost for what to say next.

'You think I'm weaker than Harry?' Shadow demanded. 'That I'll be more vulnerable than him?'

'Quite the opposite, Shadow,' Dumbledore replied calmly. 'You have gotten strong - and very skilled in magic for your age.'

'Then why can't I go to Hogwarts?'

'Because you have ambition, Shadow, and your powers would be of great asset to Lord Voldemort. While Sirius Black may be focused on Harry, he will also want to take you too.'

Everyone winced at the name, but Shadow barely heard it. 'Then why don't you lock Harry up too?' she spat angrily.

Fudge looked alarmed at her anger. 'Now, now, Shadow...'

'If I may,' Snape interrupted, 'I think she's right. This plan is ridiculous. Why are we not stopping Potter - the other one - from going to school as well?'

'It was only a suggestion,' Madam Bones said mildly. 'We assumed that Shadow would not mind continuing her schedule last year, if it meant that she would be safer.'

'I do mind.' Shadow said firmly. 'And I want to go back to Hogwarts.'

The adults mulled this over - or the minister and Madam Bones did. Snape merely watched Dumbledore, who was studying his wand serenely.

'Very well,' Fudge said at last. 'You can return to Hogwarts. But on one condition: you must remain in your Animagus form at all times.'

Shadow started to object, but the minister stood up. 'I'm afraid that's final.' And he walked out the door.

Madam Bones stood to leave as well, though she gave Shadow an apologetic squeeze on the shoulder before heading for the door.

Now left with only Snape - who looked as if he thought this was as unfair as she did - and Dumbledore, Shadow opened her mouth to protest. But she shut it again after a moment of thought, aware she'd only sound like she was complaining. She resorted to staring at Dumbledore, who was still examining his wand.

Finally, the headmaster looked up. 'I'm afraid I must leave too. Shadow, believe me when I say this is the best way. Sirius Black is an... unknown mystery. It's better to be safe than sorry.'

He stood and reached into his cloak. 'I want you to keep this, Shadow, on your person at all times.' Dumbledore withdrew an elegant silver dagger, its handle set in jade and emeralds. It was the knife Shadow had thrown at the Basilisk's eye in the Chamber of Secrets. 'There are always times when magic fails us, and it is always best to keep physical protection nearby just in case.'

The headmaster handed her the blade, then swept towards the door. He stopped to look back before he reached it. 'Shadow, there will be dementors placed around the school. I taught you the basics of producing a Patronus charm, but if I recall correctly, you never managed to think of a memory happy enough. I want you to finish learning the skill - you'll need it sooner or later. If you need help, ask Professor Snape.' He nodded at the Potions master, then stepped out of the room.

Shadow turned to her last resort, silently pleading Snape with her eyes. He looked away from her.

'Come, I must take you to Hogwarts.' He spoke to the wall.

'Now?' Shadow asked, astonished. There was still a week of holiday.

'You'll need to get used to living as an animal.'

Shadow sighed in defeat. This was not how she had imagined going back to Hogwarts.

S

'Shadow?'

She turned to see Harry poke his head around the corner of the winding staircase. 'Harry!'

Her brother enveloped her in a hug. 'I still can't believe they not letting you attend classes normally.'

Shadow shrugged. 'It took a while to wring out the real reason from Dumbledore, but eventually he said it was a precaution just in case Sirius Black decides to use me as leverage against you.' She looked out at the velvety sky from their spot on the topmost Astronomy tower. 'How are you? I hear you met a dementor on the Hogwarts Express yesterday.'

A brief look of irritation flashed across Harry's face. 'I'm fine. I wish everyone would stop fussing about it. It's bad enough that Malfoy knows, he's been doing his best to reenact my fainting episode to the rest of the Slytherins.'

Shadow knew this, of course. She had followed the Slytherins around to their classes for the whole day, listening in the corner as the teachers started them off on their third year of magic. A few of the students had given her curious looks, recognizing her as the black cat who had sat on the head table beside Dumbledore during the welcome-back feast.

'I met one too when I came to Hogwarts a week ago,' said Shadow softly. 'I was in my Animagus form, so it wasn't as bad, but...' She shuddered, remembering the ghostly pangs of pain, ice, and terror. 'I don't want to ever see one again.'

The siblings stood side by side, looking down at the Hogwarts grounds stretched before them. Overhead, a shooting star painted across the sky.

'So how are your taking classes?' Harry asked after a while.

'I sit at the back of the class. Tonks taught me how to do a disillusion and silencing charm last year, so I just cast if over myself and work invisibly. All the teachers know I'm here, so they come over to check on me from time to time when the rest of the class is busy.'

Harry looked unhappy. 'So you basically don't talk for the entire day!'

Shadow shrugged. 'I'll get used to it. Besides, the Slytherins are already starting to notice me, so I suspect someone will approach the strange, black cat soon enough.'

He wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he didn't ask any further. 'What classes did you choose to take this year?'

'Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Hermione's in my classes.' Shadow gave her brother a quick glance. 'She told me what happened in Care of Magical Creatures.'

Harry grimaced. 'Malfoy,' he spat. 'He's trying to get Hagrid sacked.'

'I went to the hospital wing earlier. He was sleeping quite soundly.'

'He's milking his injury for all it's worth,' Harry said angrily. 'He purposefully provoked Buckbeak, the hippogriff. Why can't he just mind his own business?'

'Because he's pathetic, mean, and arrogant.' And insecure, unhappy, and jealous. He also had an extremely demanding father.

'Why are we talking about Malfoy?' Harry gave a shake of his head. 'We should talk about something else, like -'

'Like did you really blow up Aunt Marge?' Shadow interrupted, fixing him with a Hermione-worthy look that lasted for a second before it gave way to amusement.

His face broke into a grin. 'Yeah. I didn't mean to, I just lost control and...' He left it at that, joining Shadow in her laughter.

'Oh, Uncle Vernon's face must've been priceless.' Shadow grinned. 'The Ministry was so worried though. Where'd you go after you left the house?'

The laughter died from Harry's face. 'Not very far, the trunk was too heavy. I accidentally flagged down the Knight Bus because I tripped.' He paused, then hesitantly asked, 'Have you heard of the Grim?'

'The dog omen of death?' Shadow frowned. 'What about it?'

'I thought I saw it just before the Knight Bus came. And then Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, said she saw the Grim in my teacup...'

'You're not about to die,' said Shadow at once. 'The black dog you saw in Little Whinging was probably a stray. As for Professor Trelawney, well, I don't really think she's a true Seer.'

Harry looked a slightly more relieved. 'That's what Hermione and Professor McGonagall said, but Ron seemed seriously freaked about it.'

'You're not going to die,' Shadow repeated seriously.

Another five minutes passed in comfortable silence, then Harry sighed and said, 'We should go. Filch makes his rounds to the Astronomy Tower soon.'

Shadow nodded in assent. 'See you in double potions. Or actually, I'll see you but you won't see me. Owl me if you want to talk.'

She watched as her brother pulled his invisibility cloak on again and disappear down the stairs. She didn't feel like leaving; she wouldn't be able to sleep anyways.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, she extracted a black, leather sketchbook. These Hogwarts grounds were worth sketching, before something eventually happened that stopped her from ever coming back here again.

Shadow didn't know how long she lay on her stomach, drawing. Filch had come up briefly to glance around the tower, during which she had disillusioned herself, but otherwise the only indication of time was the subtle brightening of the sky.

She estimated it was around three in the morning when she heard footsteps whispering up the stairs. Snatching up her pencils and sketchbook, Shadow popped into a cat and skittered into the darkness pooling besides the wall.

The faint brushing of shoes against stone ground sounded louder. Judging from the angle and direction of the almost undetectable noise, the person should have entered the tower by now, but no one was in sight.

A few minutes passed, then there was a soft whisper from somewhere in the middle of the room. A person shimmered into view, standing exactly where Shadow had been sitting.

She blinked at the sight of the familiar blond head. What was Draco Malfoy doing here?

The Slytherin settled against the wall, his arm in a white sling, and looked out the window. He didn't do anything, besides stare out at the brightening grounds.

Shadow studied him, slightly impressed with the fact that he knew how to disillusion himself. Draco's expression was strangely open, the absence of his usual sneer or smirk making the edges of his face seem softer. Though she couldn't completely discern his thoughts from his still face, he looked like one who was bracing himself for another wearing day.

Even his hair was different. In contrast to his usually sleek blond head, it was tousled and wild, as if he had been tossing and turning in bed for a while. Shadow thought it looked better. Less slick.

She settled herself in a more comfortable position, resting her chin on her paws. Draco looked back suddenly, as if he could sense her eyes on her. She froze.

He looked around, glancing at her spot twice before reluctantly turning back. Shadow gave a silent exhale of relief. Good to know that her black fur blended so well in the darkness.

The sun inched its way above the horizon, slowly spreading color across the dark landscape. Draco didn't move, and neither did Shadow. She merely watched him watching the sunrise, trying to figure out this new Draco.

And eventually, she slipped into sleep.

S

Draco didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm still covered in bandages, acting, in Shadow's opinion, as though he was the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. It was so different from the Draco she had seen every night of the week on top of the Astronomy tower that she briefly wondered if they were two completely different people. Maybe her addled wits had mistaken another blond boy for this arrogant toe-rag.

'How is it, Draco?' simpered Pansy Parkinson. 'Does it hurt much?'

Shadow curled her lip over her fangs. Pansy was about the closest a girl could get to a mix between a pug and a cow.

'Yeah,' said Draco, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Shadow saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.

'Settle down, settle down,' said Professor Snape idly.

Draco set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron. 'Sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm -'

'Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him,' said Snape from where he was making his way around the room.

Shadow stirred her Shrinking Potion feverishly. He was going to check on her potion next - the class was distracted enough - and she wasn't even a fourth through the instructions. She'd been asleep for the first half-hour of class, the nights she'd spent awake in the Astronomy Tower finally catching up to her. Why she'd gone up there everyday to watch Draco Malfoy was a mystery to her, but for some reason she was able to fall asleep better up there with him than alone in Dumbledore's study.

However, as her body had clearly told her this morning, the three meagre hours of sleep everyday was not enough for her to be functional.

Luckily, Snape was distracted when Draco drawled, 'Professor, Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir.'

Snape turned away, a couple of feet short of reaching her hidden table at the back of the room, and gave Ron an unpleasant smile.

'Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley.'

'But, sir -!'

Shadow peered over the heads of the Gryffindors to see Ron's beautifully shredded roots, all of them equally sized. He must've spent a long time on those.

'_Now,_' Snape said in his most dangerous voice.

Shadow stared balefully at her steaming potion, vehemently squeezing essence of comfrey into her cauldron.

'And, sir, I'll need this Shrivelfig skinned,' said Draco, smirking broadly.

'Potter, you can skin Malfoy's Shrivelfig.' Snape gave her brother the special look of loathing he saved for Harry.

Shadow forced herself to ignore them, concentrating on weighing out a handful of caterpillars.

_Why do you care anyways?_ a voice grumbled at the back of her mind. _Why do you always risk your neck for them?_

She chopped viciously down on the caterpillar. This side of her had become more and more vocal since her near-death experience in the Chamber of Secrets. It had informed her multiple times that she was being an idiot for caring about things that might end up being her weakness. _Don't you remember? Caring got you nowhere in the past. It only got you more pain and conflict. _

_ Shut up,_ she told it.

_There's a reason why you were put in Slytherin, _it persisted._ Accept your true self - you already know that love is a weakness. Stop trying to pretend that you're as noble and heroic as them; you're not._

_ Shut up! _Shadow slammed her knife down.

A Slytheirn girl looked back at the noise.

Shadow stood and sprinted out the classroom. At this rate, she'd probably blow her cover before she finished her potion.

She ran, to where she didn't know. As long as it was away from the horrible thoughts and Snape's sinister dungeons.

Ten minutes later, she fell to all fours beside the lake, the water lapping at her hands as she panted for breath. A light breeze played across her face and sent shivers across the surface of the lake.

Shadow reached out a shaking hand to splash some water onto her face. She knew what Dumbledore would say if she told him about her selfish thoughts. _Do not blame yourself, Shadow. It is not who you truly are deep down inside. It is just the result of Voldemort's dark influence on you during your childhood - it is the self-protective instinct you built because of him._

But she also knew the same could be said for her more positive side. _How do I know if I'm not actually selfish deep in side? My loyalty to Harry and his friends never existed before. What if my good side is just the result of Dumbledore's moral lessons?_

Shadow stared down at the rippling reflection of her pale face. _If both my good and bad side are results of someone else's influence, then who is the real me?_

S

Shadow sat on the window sill, watching the Slytherin Quidditch team zoom around the field. Her black tail flicked restlessly back and forth against the emerald wall.

'I don't think they'll win this year.'

She turned just as a blond-haired girl leaned against the windows to look outside as well.

'I haven't told anyone, but I think the team this year has gone too much for brawn instead of skill.' The Slytherin girl, which Shadow recognized as Daphne Greengrass from her year, slanted her an unreadable look. 'I also have no idea why I'm talking to a cat.'

Shadow twitched her whiskers.

Daphne took that as a signal she was listening. 'Are you Dumbledore's cat?'

Shadow turned her face back towards the window.

'I'll take that as a no.' Daphne threw herself into a dark green armchair. 'I can't believe I'm reduced to talking to cats.'

Shadow gave her a _mrup_ of indignation.

The blond girl looked at her in surprise. 'Oh, so you _do _sort of understand what I'm saying.'

Shadow flicked her ears, as if to say, _well duh._

Daphne snorted. 'I guess you're wondering why I'm bothering you.'

Gray eyes turned in her direction.

She looked broodingly at the Slytherin fireplace, which was the only other source of noise in the common room. Everyone else was at dinner. 'You're the only sane female presence in our grade.'

Shadow wondered how Daphne knew she was female, and that she was in her year.

As if she had read her mind, Daphne looked at her. 'I had to research cats for a Transfiguration paper last year, so I know how to tell genders. And you only follow our year around classes, so I'm just lobbing you with the rest of our class.'

Shadow looked out the window again. She remembered Daphne Greengrass had been one of the few Slytherin girls who had attempted to befriend her in first year before Malfoy started scaring them all off. She had thought her a bit aloof, though Daphne hadn't exactly done anything to remind everyone that the Greengrass family was one of the oldest pure-blood wizarding families.

'There used to be another sane girl in our grade. Her name was Dawn Potter, though she preferred to be called Shadow.'

Shadow finally gave Daphne her undivided attention, turning completely around so that her back was to the window.

'Oh, I see, you've heard of her too.' Daphne considered her. 'She was the only other girl who didn't seem head over heels in love with Draco Malfoy, but she left after first year to who-knows-where.'

Shadow snorted loudly, then tried to pass it off as a hacking cough (as if she was choked on a hairball). She somehow doubted that real cats could snort.

'I know right?' Daphne nodded in approval. 'It's pathetic. I didn't think I could stand another meal listening to Pansy faun over him.'

Shadow hopped down the windowsill and settled herself on the green armchair opposite Daphne, watching the girl with interest. Those were the wisest words she had ever heard anyone in Slytherin utter.

'Daphne! Daphne! Guess what?'

The dungeon wall slid open and Pansy Parkinson ran in, her face alight with excitement.

'What?' Daphne asked in a bored voice, covering her groan with a dry cough.

'Draco told me he'd take me to Hogsmeade next week!' Pansy squealed, drawing snickers from the slowly filling common room. Dinner must've ended.

Daphne shut her eyes for a moment, clearly composing herself, before saying, 'Good for you, Pansy.'

'Come,' Pansy seized Daphne by the hand and dragged her up the stairway leading to the girls' dormitory. 'I want to tell you what else happened.'

Daphne glanced back at where Shadow was still curled up on the armchair, giving her a look that clearly said _shoot-me-now_.

Shadow purred. Perhaps it was time to tell Dumbledore she'd spend her nights in the Slytherin common room instead of his office. It looked like there was still hope for her house.

The dungeon wall opened again, and a raucous group of boys walked in, including one with platinum-blond hair.

'I can't believe you said yes to Parkinson,' Blaise Zabini was saying.

'It doesn't really make a difference,' Draco was still in his Quidditch clothes. 'Whether I had said yes or no, she would have tagged along anyways. So I'll just let her fantasize for a moment.'

Theodore Nott snickered. 'I bet Daphne's being tortured by all the information right now.'

Zabini looked around the room. 'Yep, she's not here. Pansy probably dragged her off to tell her about every breath you made in the conversation.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Shut up.'

They headed for the three armchairs in front of the fireplace - one of which Shadow was still sitting on.

'Shoo, cat,' said Zabini without looking at her.

Shadow gave him a flat look.

'I said shoo!' He tried to shove her off the armchair, but Shadow dug her claws in a hissed. It would take more than this idiot to unseat her.

'Fine.' Zabini huffed and turned to push Draco out of his seat instead. 'Bloody cats.'

Theodore snorted with amusement while Draco gave his friend a withering look. He didn't seem overly bothered though. Instead, he approached the seat Shadow had taken over, looking down at her with a sort of patronizing stare.

Shadow glared mutinously back.

'Just sit on it,' Theodore smirked and pulled out some Astronomy charts. 'We need to get on with homework.'

Draco tried to pick her up, but Shadow snarled, arching her back up in hostility.

'You're a feisty one, aren't you?' mused Draco, setting her back down.

'One of the only organisms to show backbone here at Hogwarts,' drawled Zabini, flipping through his potions book.

'Hey,' Theodore said suddenly. 'Isn't that Potter's owl?'

All four of them swiveled around to see Hedwig swoop through the closing dungeon doors over the heads of a couple of fifth years. There was a note tied to her leg.

'What's Potter writing letters to a Slytherin for?' Draco stood up.

Shadow leaped up as well, alarm coursing through her. No one could know that she was at Hogwarts.

Before she could stop Draco, however, he had cornered Hedwig and snatched the letter from her. The white owl let out a screech of agitation, but Zabini shooed her unceremoniously out of the dungeons.

'"Astronomy Tower at midnight,"' Draco read out loud to the entire listening common room.

Relief washed over her. Harry hadn't mentioned her by name.

'Hm,' Draco folded the note , looking around at all the faces. 'Who's up for a little midnight endeavor to the Astronomy Tower?'

Shadow didn't stay to see who would volunteer. She ran for the Gryffindor common room, silently thanking her luck that she had been here to see Draco intercept the message.

The Slytherins weren't going to find anything interesting on the Astronomy Tower tonight.


	4. Chapter 4: Third Year (continued)

Hogsmeade approached so quickly that Shadow thought it was a conspiracy against Harry.

'We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes,' said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for Harry as they lined up at the Entrance Hall, where Filch was checking off their names.

'Yeah, loads,' said Ron.

Shadow meowed. She would have stayed behind to keep Harry company, but he had refused. 'Just because I can't go doesn't mean you can't,' he had said.

'Staying here, Potter?' shouted Draco from where he was standing in line a little farther ahead, Zabini and Theodore beside him. Crabbe and Goyle hovered behind them, sniggering. 'Scared of passing the Dementors?'

Harry ignored them and made his solitary way up the marble staircase.

'Fia, come on!' Shadow turned to see Daphne motioning her at the entrance, already having passed inspection. They had formed a strange sort-of friendship since that day in the common room. Shadow would hang around Daphne during meals so that she wouldn't have to endure Pansy's blathering alone, and in turn, Daphne would talk to her and keep her company. She had started calling her Fia, which she had explained meant 'dark of peace' in Scottish.

Shadow trotted over to her, giving Hermione and Ron a parting glance over her shoulder. Daphne scooped her up into her arms and ran to where Pansy and Tracey Davis were both waiting for her. Actually, only Tracey had been waiting for Daphne. Pansy was still standing on her tiptoes, peering anxiously for Draco to come out.

'Is that cat yours?' Tracey asked, looking like she wanted to scowl at Shadow but couldn't seem to work up the haughty expression. According to Daphne, Tracey was not very fond of cats.

'No, I don't think she belongs to anyone.' Daphne scratched Shadow behind the ears. 'However, we've bonded.'

'Hello ladies,' a voice interrupted them.

Daphne and Tracey turned to see Zabini. Behind him, Theodore was rolling his eyes at Pansy, who had already latched onto Draco's arm. Crabbe and Goyle followed some distance away, their heads together as they muttered to each other.

'Hello,' replied Daphne. Tracey didn't say anything, she just stared jealously at Pansy when she and Draco joined them.

'So that cat's yours?' Draco nodded at Shadow, who growled at him. 'I should have guessed. Who else would own such a stubborn cat?'

Daphne smirked. 'No, she's not mine. But we've both mutually agreed you're a head is too oversized.'

Shadow purred as Draco's face flushed. Beside them, Zabini and Theodore roared with laughter. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles uncertainly.

'Come on, let's get on the train,' said Pansy hurriedly.

Unfortunately for Draco, the conversation picked up exactly where it left off when they were all seated in a compartment.

'It's nice to know you've grown a backbone, Greengrass, like your cat.' Zabini winked at Daphne as if they shared a private joke. 'You used to be so scared of Malfoy here.'

Theodore chuckled. 'Remember when you yelled at her in first year for talking to Potter's sister, Draco? She was so frightened.'

Daphne tossed her blond hair over her shoulder. 'Then I discovered that he was nothing but talk.'

'I wonder where she went, though,' Draco ignored Zabini's snort. 'Potter's sister. My father told me he taught her potions last year, but this year she just disappeared.'

'Why are you thinking about her?' Pansy pouted. 'She was a house-traitor!'

Shadow felt the fur on her back start to rise, but she managed not unsheathe her claws into Daphne's lap.

'She was the only one with any guts to stand up to the big, bad Malfoy who ended up being all talk.' Zabini shot Draco an amused look.

'I remember she made fur sprout from Crabbe's face,' Daphne said smugly.

'She lost us so many house points,' Pansy pointed out, trying to reclaim Draco's attention.

Shadow flattened her ears. Did the Slytherins really gossip about her all the time? She didn't want to hear it.

The train arrived at Hogsmeade not long after. When they all stepped out, even Zabini looked impressed with the wizard village.

Hogsmeade had dressed up for Halloween, its little thatched cottages and shops all covered with what looked like black snow and orange pumpkins. There were enchanted candles flickering with an eerie red light as they hovered between houses, but Hogsmeade didn't seem to particularly go for the scary-looking kind. The people there were too jolly and festive for the mysterious aura to really set in.

The boys made for Zonko's first, but the shop looked like it'd explode if anymore customers went in so Daphne and Tracey went to explore the rest of Hogsmeade by themselves (Pansy just floated along beside Draco, looking at nothing but him). Shadow was hit by a bright wave of color and noise as they passed and entered various shops. There was the Post Office - a whirl storm of feathers, Honeydukes - which was shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable, the Shrieking Shack - which didn't look remotely haunted to Shadow, and the Three Broomsticks - Shadow's favorite part of Hogsmeade.

Everywhere they looked, there were Ministry notices about Dementors patrolling the streets every night after sundown. Shadow gave another poster of Sirius Black's haunted face a scowl. That man was the reason why she couldn't truly return to Hogwarts, yet he hadn't showed a single hair since the breakout in Azkaban.

'Come on,' said Tracey, after they had finished their butterbeers. 'Zonko's should be less crowded by now.'

Daphne and Shadow exchanged a glance. Both of them knew Tracey only wanted to be there because the guys were.

Dozens of Fizzing Whizzbees, Acid Pops, Jelly Slugs, and Cockroach Clusters later, Shadow found herself back at school, lounged beside Daphne at the Slytherin table for the Halloween feast. The Great Hall had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the storming ceiling like brilliant water-snakes.

It was such a good evening that even Harry seemed to have forgotten about missing Hogsmeade. He talked animatedly to Ron and Hermione, seeming much more cheerful than he had this morning. Even Draco's shout of, 'The Dementors send their love, Potter!' through the crowd as they all left the hall didn't affect her brother.

Shadow was curled contently in front of the crackling fireplace, feeling warm and full, when Professor Snape marched into the dungeons.

'Come with me, all of you,' he barked, before striding back out.

All the Slytherins exchanged confused looks, then followed him out.

'Get Fia!' Daphne called from where she was being swept along to the dungeon doors.

Shadow got to her feet, meowing loudly to proclaim that she could walk fine on her own, but pale arms caught her and picked her up.

'Come on, feisty.' Draco Malfoy jogged after the last of the Slytherins. 'Don't want to get left behind.'

Shadow gave a half-hearted squirm of protest. She felt too full to move right now anyways.

Snape lead them to the Great Hall, where the students of all the other houses were already there, milling around in bafflement. Only the Gryffindors seemed to know what was going on - they were bunched up in a corner, looking tense and frightened.

'The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle,' Professor Dumbledore told them as Professor McGonagall and Flitwick closed all the doors into the Hall. 'I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge.

The students broke out in perplexed mutterings. Draco joined with the rest of the Slytherins again, handing Daphne his load, but Shadow barely noticed the transfer of arms. She was watching Harry, who stood near the edge of the Gryffindor crowd.

'Sirius Black,' he mouthed across the Great Hall.

'Oh, yes,' Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the Hall. 'You'll be needing these...'

A casual wave of his wand made the long tables disappear, then another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

'Sleep well,' said the headmaster, closing the door behind him.

The Hall immediately began to buzz excitedly.

'What happened?' Theodore asked. 'Why are they searching the castle?'

Tracey jogged over from where she had been talking to a couple of Hufflepuffs. 'Apparently Sirius Black broke in!'

'_What_?'

'The entrance to the Gryffindor common room is a portrait, and they found it sliced to tatters. The Fat Lady - the portrait's name - told Dumbledore Sirius Black had tried to get in, but he didn't have the password. So he cut her to pieces.'

'Everyone into their sleeping bags!' shouted Percy Weasley, who was Head Boy. 'Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!'

The Slytherins all grabbed a sleeping bag and dragged them to a corner. To Daphne and Shadow's disgruntlement (and Pansy and Tracey's delight), the boys joined them.

'How'd Black get into the castle?' Draco hissed as he flopped onto his sleeping bag beside Zabini. 'Hogwarts is protected by all sorts of charms.'

'I don't know, maybe he disguised himself.'

'That wouldn't have fooled the Dementors,' Theodore pointed out.

'Did he Apparate?' Pansy asked.

'There are charms against that,' Draco informed her.

Shadow looked over at the Gryffindors. Everyone was wondering the same thing.

'The lights are going out now!' Percy shouted. 'I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!'

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the Prefects. The enchanted ceiling was scattered with stars, but not quite pitch black in comparison to the Hall. What with that and the soft whispering that still filled the Hall, Shadow felt as though she was sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

It didn't take long for her to drift asleep.

S

Harry was avoiding her.

After that dreadful Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff last month - where the dementors had appeared and Harry had fallen off his broom - Harry hadn't talked to her. Oh, sure, he greeted her in the hallways and was willing to participate in conversations with her if they weren't alone, but when she sent him notes to tell him to meet her at the Astronomy Tower again, but he'd always replied with some excuse or another.

Christmas came and passed without much incidence. The only time Harry said something more than 'hello' to her was when he told her he'd gotten a Firebolt for Christmas. He'd seemed so excited that Shadow had forgiven him for his lack of contact earlier. Maybe he had really been busy.

But now that the holidays were over, and Harry was avoiding her again.

From the bits and pieces Shadow had gathered from Ron and Hermione, Harry had gone to the second Hogsmeade trip via secret tunnels in Hogwarts. There, he'd overheard something that had caused him to start avoiding his sister.

'It's nothing that you did, Shadow,' Hermione had said, biting her lip. 'He's not angry at you. He's just... trying to protect you.'

But Shadow could not, for the life of her, find out what Harry had overheard.

After another unsuccessful attempt to sneak into the Gryffindor common room, Shadow stomped back down to the Slytherin dungeons. _He must've mastered the castles secret passages,_ she thought, _otherwise there's no possible way he can avoid me for so long._

The castle was utterly quiet in the dead of night, but Shadow knew the Gryffindors were still celebrating. The aroma of butterbeer and pumpkin fizz wafting from Sir Cadogan's portrait told her they were having quite a feast. Their quidditch match against Ravenclaw today had gone extremely well.

She was leaping nimbly around a suit of armor (inside which Peeves was blowing rude raspberry noises) when she suddenly felt eyes on her.

Shadow whirled around just as a ball of ginger fur bowled into her. She yowled, twisting around to throw off her attacker, but he clung on with the persistency of a tick. Shadow raked her claws over the ginger cat's shoulders and they rolled over and over around the floor in a spitting whirl of teeth and nail.

The other cat's hold weakened momentarily as Shadow's scratches drew blood. That was all the opening she needed. Shadow tore free of her opponent's teeth and turned to pounce, her black fur fluffed up twice its size.

The cat crouched in front of her had a broad, flat face. His yellow eyes narrowed in anger and he let out a loud hiss.

It was Hermione's Crookshanks.

Shadow slowly straightened from her own crouch. She had absolute no desire to explain to Hermione why her cat had been decorated with scratches.

Crookshanks stood as well, though his eyes remained slitted. Distrust quivered on every fur of his face.

Shadow twitched her tail. Did this cat somehow know that she wasn't a normal cat?

Crookshanks growled in affirmative. He bared his teeth in a _you're-unnatural-and-freakish-so-keep-away-from-me-and my-owner _way.

Shadow wracked her brains. What did cats do to show others they meant no harm?

She took a step back and lowered into a half-crouch so that her head was beneath the ginger cat's. _I'm not dangerous, _she tried to convey with her submissive posture. She remembered that was what wolves did to their alphas - hopefully cats were somewhat similar.

Crookshanks considered her. But before he passed judgement, both of the cats heard a faint shout of terror coming from the Gryffindor Tower.

The two of them were off in a heartbeat. They raced towards the noise together, their little spat all but forgotten. Shadow skidded around the corner with Crookshanks at her tail just as Professor McGonagall stormed from the other direction, dressed in her tartan dressing-gown and hair-net. She didn't even spare the two cats a glance as she wrenched open the portrait and shouted, 'Now, really, enough's enough!'

Shadow and Crookshanks slipped into the Gryffindor Tower after her, narrowly avoiding getting a door slammed on their tails. Many of the Gryffindor boys were in the common room, Harry included, all dressed in their pajamas. A couple of girls had come down as well, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

'I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match,' McGonagall continued furiously, 'but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!'

Ron's brother puffed up indignantly. 'I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor! I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare -'

'It wasn't a nightmare!' Ron yelled. 'Professor, I woke up, and Sirius Black was standing over me, holding a knife!'

Professor McGongall stared at him. So did Shadow.

'Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have got through the portrait hole?'

'Ask him!' Ron pointed a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture.

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGongall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath.

'Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?'

'Certainly, good lady!' cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

'You - you _did_?' spluttered Professor McGonagall. 'But - but the passwords!'

'He had 'em!' said Sir Cadogan proudly. 'Had the whole week's, my lady! Read them off a little piece of paper!'

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait to face the stupefied crowd. She was white as a chalk.

'Which person,' she said, her voice shaking, 'which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?'

There was utter silence. Then Neville Longbottom slowly raised a trembling hand into the air.

S

All around the school in the next weeks, there were signs of tightened security. Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large pictures of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes.

However, Draco Malfoy didn't really seem to care about the dangers of a mass murderer breaking into the school.

'I should have an owl from Father any time now,' Draco was telling Pansy and Theodore at breakfast. 'He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm... about how I couldn't use it for three months...'

'I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself,' Draco said in a louder voice as Harry and Ron passed the Slytherin table. '"There's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest -" That hippogriff is as good as dead.'

Ron made a violent move towards Draco, but Harry pulled him back. Shadow's brother shot Draco a look of disgust, then pushed his way to the double-doors, still restraining Ron.

Shadow looked away. In the past, she might have leaped to Hagrid's defense as well, just for Harry's sake. But now, aside from the fact that she couldn't say anything, Shadow didn't really feel obliged to insult the Slytherins anymore. They had more or less grown to become her true housemates, and though they had many flaws, they had their reasons. Besides, Shadow wasn't particularly fond of Hagrid. She didn't understand why Harry, Ron and Hermione kept sticking up for him. All the trouble that happened to him was his own doing.

'Come on, Daphne,' Tracey pulled at her friend's arm. 'Let's go down to the lake. We should enjoy the weekends while we can. The exams are only a month away!'

'Okay, okay.' Daphne stuffed the rest of her toast in her mouth. 'You coming, Fia?'

Shadow shook her head. She was in need to find a certain ginger cat.

'Alright, see you back at the common room!' Daphne hurried after Tracey, who was already halfway down the Hall.

Shadow stayed to grab the leftover bacon from Daphne's plate, then trotted out towards the Gryffindor Tower. She had started bumping into Crookshanks everywhere around school after the night Sirius Black had broken in for the second time. More than once, Shadow had wondered if Hermione had sent him to spy on her.

Shadow had also turned human for the cat once, just to appease the constant scowl on his squashed face. Apparently, that had been the first step to trust, because after that Crookshanks had stopped glaring at her.

She followed her sharpened sense of smell, trying to make out the booksy scent Crookshanks smelled of - a testimony to how often he sat with Hermione.

He was waiting for her near the doors of the Entrance Hall, his tail flicking impatiently. The moment he saw her, Crookshanks turned and disappear out the doors. He didn't even look back once to see if she followed.

Shadow swallowed her irritation and padded after him.

Crookshanks led her to the Whomping Willow, which was clear of students that didn't want to be hit. Without pausing to even glance at the lethal branches, Crookshanks darted forward towards the base of the tree.

Shadow gave a loud meow of alarm and burst forward into a run to stop the foolish cat from getting mauled.

The tree whipped forward, but Crookshanks was too quick. He weaved around its roots with practiced ease and pressed a knob in one of the hollows of the trunk.

The Whomping Willow immediately stilled. Shadow screeched to a halt in front of the smug ginger cat, gaping at the unmoving tree. What had Crookshanks done?

The cat turned again and disappeared down a large gap in the roots, smacking his bottle-brush tail across Shadow's muzzle for good measure. She let out a great sneeze, glared after him, then cautiously followed.

Shadow slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. If she were human now, she'd have to bend-double in order to fit. As it was, she scampered quickly after Crookshanks with a few feet to spare between the ceiling and her head.

On and on went the passage. Shadow followed Crookshank's scent blindly, unable to summon light. _Where does this tunnel lead? _Shadow strained to see in the pitch-dark. _Why was the Whomping Willow planted over it? Is it one of the secret passages Harry told me about?_

Finally, the tunnel began to rise. Moments later it twisted, and Shadow saw a patch of dim light through a small opening.

She morphed back to human form, needing light to see what was beyond. 'Lumos,' she whispered, the raised her wand.

It was a room; a very disordered and dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded-up.

_This is the Shrieking Shack,_ Shadow realized.

She pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. Her eyes fell on a wooden chair near her. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.

_Ghosts didn't do that, _she thought, glancing around warily.

The room was deserted, but a door to her right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Crookshanks appeared in the doorway, his expression clearly saying: 'What's keeping you so long?'

'Alright, I'm coming,' Shadow huffed, following him into the hall and up a crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

'Why'd you bring me here?' Shadow asked as they found themselves on a dark landing. 'I'm sure it's not the scenery that attracted you, you're much too short for that.'

Crookshanks gave her a miffed look, then waved his tail in the universal sign of _stay._ He turned and disappeared into the shadows.

Shadow threw her hands into the hands. 'Oh, alright then, just lead me out her and then ditch me. I can really see why Hermione is so fond of you.'

The house creaked in reply.

Shadow was about to sit down on the large, old four-post bed in the corner of the room and wait for Crookshanks to reappear again when all the hair on the back of her neck rose up.

She spun around, hand darting to her wand, just as a great black dog padded out of the darkness.

Her first thought was: It's the Grim; I'm about to die.

Her second was: Do omens of death cast shadows?

Crookshanks appeared behind the dog, weaving easily between the wolf-like beast's massive black paws. He stopped in front of it, almost standing a little protectively.

Shadow lowered her wand, though not all the way. Crookshanks wouldn't lead her to a death trap, would he? The dog watched her without moving. There was a sort of _human_ intelligence glinting in those black eyes.

Was it possible that she wasn't the only unregistered animagus at school?

Even as she looked back at the dog, it began to change. The snout shortened, while its limbs elongated. Its torso lengthened, and it stood on its hind legs as paws became hands and fur became skin.

A gaunt-looking man stood in front of her, his skin pale and pallid as if he had not seen the sun for a long time. He was wearing loose rags, his haggard face partially covered by long, filthy, black hair.

It was Sirius Black.

Before Shadow's brain had caught up with her, she had backed away several feet, the jade-hilted blade Dumbledore had given her for safety and wand up in either hand.

The criminal held her gaze unwaveringly, his grimy hands coming up slowly to show he held no wand. Crookshanks leaped onto the bed, purring loudly. Shadow would have glowered at the cat for his betrayal had it not been unwise to turn her gaze away from the murderer.

'Dawn Potter,' Sirius Black croaked hoarsely. His voice sounded as though he had long ago lost the habit of using it. 'You look just like your mother.'

Shadow's mind spun madly, trying to concoct a brilliant plan of escape. There were at least two exits in the Shrieking Shack, but one of them was blocked off from Hogsmeade. That one was still her best bet though - it was closest to civilization, and to the dementors.

'I mean you no harm,' Black continued. 'I just wanted to talk. The cat told me you were an Animagus as well.'

'Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't stun you and summon the dementors right now,' demanded Shadow in a low voice, her eyes darting around the room, trying to note how many windows and doors there were. For all of the Ministry's precaution, Sirius Black had ended up trapping her. Well, she refused to be leverage.

Black lowered his hands, something flickering in his shadowed eyes. 'Because I'm not here to kill Harry.'

This threw a wrench in Shadow's wild tumble of thoughts. 'What?'

'I'm not here to kill Harry,' Black repeated.

'Then... why are you here?' Shadow's mind restarted, now spinning in a completely different direction. 'To kill me?'

'No,' Black bared his teeth in a skull-like grin. 'But I _am_ at Hogwarts to commit the murder I was imprisoned for.'

Shadow frowned. Did that statement imply what she thought it implied? 'You killed thirteen people in front of witnesses. Including a wizard, Peter Pettigrew.'

Black's eyes flared to life at the name. 'I meant to,' he snarled, 'but little Peter got better of me... now I'm here to finish what I set out to do.'

'Peter Pettigrew is dead,' Shadow shot back.

Black gave a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room. 'The Ministry sometimes gets a lot of things wrong. I would never have betrayed James and Lily.'

Shadow started. 'What has my parents got to do with this?'

Black gave her a strange look. 'Don't you know what they say about me?' he asked rather savagely, 'They say I betrayed your parents and sold them to Voldemort.'

She stared. So _that _was why Harry had avoided her - he must've found out and not wanted her to know.

The bed groaned as Black shifted, his dark gaze suspicious. 'You're too calm.'

Shadow considered the man in front of him. He was a convicted murder, said to have been the cause of her parents' death. He had killed thirteen wizards, been in league with Voldemort, and was the reason why she hadn't been able to attend Hogwarts fully.

She sat onto the floor, legs criss-crossed, stirring up a great puff of dust.

'Mr. Black,' Black jumped, as though being spoken to politely was something he'd long forgotten. 'If you had wanted to kill me, you'd have saved your breath explaining why.'

The wasted man frowned at her. 'Are you in Ravenclaw or Slytherin?'

'Uh, I'm in Slytherin. Why?'

'Your thinking is much too logical for a Gryffindor, and much too selfish for a Hufflepuff.' He inspected her warily, uneasiness harsh on his face. 'You don't care that I may have caused your parents' death?'

Shadow wavered. 'I... don't remember them. They're just a nonexistent memory.' She looked down at her hands. 'Besides, if you were really all that they say about you, you would not be here making conversation with me.'

Black's face hardened. 'What happened to you?' he rasped. 'Who harmed you?'

Shadow flinched in surprise. How had he guessed?

He read the answer on her face. 'It was Voldemort, wasn't it? That's where you disappeared to weeks before that night?'

She needed to steer the conversation to safer waters. Now. 'You must've known my parents well.'

Black glanced away from her, something other than suspicion, bitterness, and madness finally flickering across his face. 'I was very good friends with your father.'

Shadow digested this piece of information silently.

He looked back suddenly. 'You look very much like your mother.'

'I think you mentioned that once,' Shadow said without thinking. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her wary side fainted. It just couldn't accept the fact that she was bantering with a notorious criminal.

'You have her features, her eyes. But you have James's nose and hair color.' A pained expression flashed across Black's hollowed face.

'Mr. Black, why did you want to talk to me?'

He fixed her with another frown. 'I need your help.'

'Huh?'

'I'm here to kill someone,' he said harshly, 'but I can't reach him.'

Shadow waited.

'His name,' Black said venomously, 'is Peter Pettigrew.'

She stared.

'He's also an Animagus.' He fixed her with a fierce expression. 'He's a rat, currently by the name of Scabbers.'

Shadow blanched. 'Ron's rat?'

Black got to his feet, giving Crookshanks a pat on the head. 'It'll probably take a while for you to think this through, but I'm innocent. I didn't kill those thirteen people - Peter did.' He walked over to the doorway. 'If you do decide to help me, however, you know where I'm staying. The cat is also very intelligent - he'll be able to tell me if you don't want to come yourself.'

With that, Sirius Black turned back into a black dog and disappeared further in the Shrieking Shack.

The wind howled through a crack between the planks boarding up one of the windows. It was exactly what her jumble of thoughts sounded like in her head.

'You're a right old arse, you know that right, Crookshanks?' Shadow told the cat, who was now stretching on the bed.

Crookshanks purred.

S

Of course, on top of everything else that was happening, exams had to be added to the pile of Shadow's ever-growing to-do list.

1\. Ask Professor Lupin about the correct way of breaking a Grindylow's grip

2\. Study for exams

3\. Return Daphne's star chart (she was still looking for it)

4\. Study for exams

5\. Try the stinging hex on either Draco or Pansy

6\. Study for exams

7\. Produce a corporeal patronus

8\. Study for exams

9\. Continue ignoring Crookshanks for the rest of the year

10\. Study for exams

11\. Decide whether or not to believe Sirius Black

An unnatural hush fell over the castle as exam week began. The third-years emerged from Transfiguration at lunch-time on Monday limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Shadow thought she had done alright, at least compared to some other people.

'My turtle's shell could be taken off like a teapot lid,' Pansy brooded.

'Were tortoises _supposed_ to spout tea?' Tracey beseeched as they tromped back to the Great Hall for a hasty lunch.

'It had a strangely curved neck, d'you think that'll count against me?' Zabini asked Theodore, who had already buried himself in his Charms notes.

After lunch, Shadow followed Draco and Zabini to take their Arithmancy exam. She muddled her way through the complex number charts, wracking her brains for what the textbook had said about Theory of Numerology. A couple of rows ahead, Hermione made everyone feel nervous by scribbling furiously on the section that said: 'Using Count's Theorem, predict the likelihood that Professor Vector will catch a cold on May 31st.' Shadow had been sorely tempted to sneak over and glance over her shoulder (since she was invisible), but Professor Vector had probably already calculated the likelihood of her doing that and set up all sorts of countermeasures.

The next day was just as packed. Charms soared by relatively easily for Shadow, though a few rows back Harry overdid his Cheering Charms on Ron, causing Flitwick to lead the redhead out of the room until his hysterical laughter died down. Shadow had her Ancient Runes exam while everyone went to Care of Magical Creatures, where she tried to remember the number that represented acromantulas and the difference between _wygald _and _wyghald_.

The Astronomy exam came at midnight, up on the tallest tower (Shadow suspected that both she and Draco would get full marks on it, since they had both spent so much time stargazing up here). The next morning, Shadow brewed her Confusing Concoction with Lucius Malfoy's voice in mind, and her perfect potion allowed her a curt nod of approval from Snape. History of Magic after that was terrible - Shadow kept falling asleep because she'd eaten too much at lunch.

Finally, on the last day of exams, Shadow pushed through Herbology in the baking sun in the greenhouses (luckily, being invisible seemed to prevent her from getting sunburned like the rest of her year). Her last exam was Defense Against the Dark Arts, though she couldn't take it with the rest of her year.

'Excellent, Shadow,' Lupin muttered during everyone's lunch period, as she hopped over the last pothole filled with Red Caps. 'Full marks, just like your brother.'

Shadow returned to the Slytherin common room in high spirits that was clearly shared with the rest of the students.

'Game of Exploding Snap, anyone?' Draco asked, grinning. 'Exams are over!'

'Oh, yes!' Both Pansy and Zabini hustled over.

Shadow stretched out beside Daphne, watching her as she played chess with Theodore. The chess pieces were especially amusing to watch - either they were really good at advice or they were terribly misleading.

After dinner, Shadow made her way to Dumbledore's office, since the headmaster had wanted to check on her progress with patronuses. Last time, she had managed to produce a real patronus (a slender wolf), but it hadn't lasted very long. She was still working on the endurance of her happy feelings.

'Hello professor!' She said brightly as she walked into the office.

'Ah, Shadow, how were the exams?' Dumbledore was standing on the far side of the room, reaching for a book on the topmost shelf of his circular bookshelf.

'Not bad, sir, but I'm glad they're over.' Shadow sat in the chair opposite his desk. 'I feel like I could produce a good patronus right now.'

Dumbledore chuckled, selecting a rather thick volume from the books and walking over to the counter that held all his silver, spindly instruments. 'I'm sure you could. However, something has arisen tonight and I'm a bit busy. Perhaps you can come back next week for your lesson?'

'Oh, no problem, Professor Dumbledore.' Shadow pushed the chair back in.

'While you're here, Shadow, could you bring this note to Professor Lupin for me? I would be most grateful.' Dumbledore handed her a sealed scroll.

'Okay.' Shadow stuck it in her robes. 'Goodnight, professor!'

She jogged up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, thinking she'd catch Lupin before he left the classroom. The door was unlocked and open, but no one was inside it.

Shadow weaved her way between desks to the front of the classroom to put the scroll on Lupin's table, but there was already another parchment on it. A rather old parchment.

She bent down to look closer. It was a map of Hogwarts, though it held many more tunnels and passageways than she remembered. The most extraordinary thing, however, was that it held moving dots with names labeled on it.

Shadow stared at the Slytherin common room, which was overlapped with names. The two dots labeled Daphne Greengrass and Zabini Blaise was a bit apart from the tangle of ink - they were behind the staircase leading up to the boys dorm. What were they doing there?

But her attention was dragged away as her eye caught on a fast-moving dot. Remus Lupin was running to the Whomping Willow, and to Shadow's horror, she saw Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack. How did they get _there_?

Even farther up the map, Ronald Weasley, Sirius Black, and _Peter Pettigrew_ were already in the Shrieking Shack. Shadow stared at the name in disbelief. No, this map had to be lying. There was no way Harry was going there now. He should be safe in Gryffindor Tower, celebrating the end of exams like everyone else.

_But what if it's not lying?_ A tiny voice asked in the back of her head.

_Then_, Shadow thought bleakly, _Harry will kill Sirius Black out of misunderstood rage that he had caused their parents' death. Or maybe he'd just hand him over to the dementors. _And Black wouldn't defend himself because he would not want to hurt his best friend's son. Or maybe he would, in order to kill Peter.

_Will you let an innocent man die, Shadow?_ The voice sounded a lot like Dumbledore's.

Shadow gritted her teeth. Fine. But only because Harry would never live with himself if he caused the death of the wrong person.

She almost crashed into Snape as she ran out of the room.

'Shadow, what are you doing here?' The potions master asked her, holding the steaming goblet in his hands carefully out of her way.

'I was dropping off a note Professor Dumbledore told me to give Professor Lupin,' Shadow said hurriedly over her shoulder as she fast-walked down the hall.

She didn't hear Snape's reply as she rounded the corner and broke into a run again. It would take her ages to run the tunnel between the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack. Hopefully, no one would be dead when she arrived on the scene.

Outside the hostile tree, Shadow saw Harry's invisible cloak puddled beside its roots. Her heart sank. The map _had_ been telling the truth.

She snatched up a long stick and prodded the knob, dodging the Willow's angry branches. The moment it stilled, she dived into the hole.

The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. Shadow ran flat-out in cat-form, bumping into the walls several time in her haste, her mind thinking about what would happen if she arrived too late...

When she finally burst out of the tunnel, the first thing she saw was Lupin, who had stopped to gaze around the ravaged house in a sort of entranced horror, like one relieving terrible memories. Shadow ignored him and streaked up the stairs, towards the faint, angry voices.

Her momentum forced the door wide open. Ron was lying on the floor, both hands gripping his leg in pain. Hermione was cowering next to the door, restraining Crookshanks in her arms, who was spitting and clawing. Harry was standing over Sirius Black, who was crumpled and bleeding beside the bed, his wand raised as if he were about to strike.

Without hesitation, Shadow hurled herself in front of Harry and onto Black's chest. She settled herself there, right over his heart.

Both Harry and Black gawked at her.

'Get off,' Black murmured, trying to push her off, but she sank her claws into his robes and wouldn't shift. Shadow turned her face towards Harry, looking him straight in the eye.

'Shadow,' Harry's voice shook, though she didn't know if it was from shock or rage. 'Get off him.'

She didn't budge.

'You don't understand, he betrayed our parents to Voldemort!' This time, the anger was clear in his voice. 'He's he reason why they died!'

Suddenly the door banged open again in shower of red sparks, and Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless and his wand raised. He took in the strange scene with a swift look.

'Expelliarmus!' he shouted.

Three wands soared towards Lupin, and he caught them all deftly. Shadow hesitated, then slid off Black. Lupin moved into the room, staring at the haggard man.

'Where is he?'

And in that moment, Shadow knew that Lupin had also seen Peter Pettigrew's name on the map.

Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised a hand and pointed straight at Ron.

'But then...' Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, '... why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless... unless _he_ was the one... unless you switched without telling me?'

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.

'Professor Lupin,' Harry interrupted loudly, 'what's going -'

Her brother's voice died away when Lupin lowered his wand, pulled Black to his feet, and embraced him like a brother.

'I DON'T BELIEVE IT!' Hermione screamed, raising herself off the floor and pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. 'You - you -'

'Hermione - '

'- you and him!'

'Hermione, calm down - '

'I didn't tell anyone!' Hermione shrieked, causing Shadow to flatten her ears. 'I've been covering up for you -'

'Hermione, listen to me, please!' Lupin shouted. 'I can explain -'

Now Harry started yelling as well. 'I trusted you, and all the time you've been his friend!'

Ears flat against her skull, Shadow backed away into the corner of the room beside Crookshanks. Let Lupin deal with this, he seemed to know more about it than her anyways.

'You're wrong,' said Lupin. 'I haven't been Sirius' friend for twelve years -'

'NO!' Hermione screamed. 'Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too - _he's a werewolf!'_

There was a ringing silence. Shadow, along with everyone else in the room beside Black, stared at Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

'Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione,' he said. 'Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead... but I won't deny that I am a werewolf.'

Ron made a valiant effort to get to his feet, but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin started towards him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, 'Get away from me, werewolf!'

Lupin stopped dead. Then with obvious effort, he turned away from Ron. 'The rest of the staff knows what I am, though Dumbledore had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy -'

'AND HE WAS WRONG!' Harry yelled, recovering from his momentary shock. 'YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL ALONG!' He pointed at Black, who had crossed to the four-post bed and sunk into it. Crookshanks jumped up from beside Shadow to settle into his lap.

Shadow morphed back into a human. 'Perhaps they might trust you better if you gave them back their wands.'

Everyone jumped as if they had forgotten she was in the room. Harry whirled on her.

'How can you be on their side?' he choked out.

Shadow held her hands up in a placating gesture. 'Harry, you've got it all wrong. Black isn't here to kill you, and he certainly isn't the murderer everyone thinks he is. He's innocent.'

Her brother looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

'Peter Pettigrew,' Shadow hurried on. 'He's the one who blew up the street and killed thirteen people. He's the one who betrayed our parents to Voldemort and framed Black. He's here in the castle, and Black broke out of prison to kill _him_, not you.'

'She's right,' Lupin said after a long stretch of silence. He took a step towards Ron, who edged backwards in response. 'Ron, may I have a look at that rat?'

Ron clutched the thrashing rodent closer to his chest. 'What's Scabbers got to do with anything?'

'That's not Scabbers,' Sirius said suddenly.

'That's an Animagus,' Lupin explained, 'by the name of Peter Pettigrew.'

Ron, Hermione, and Harry exchanged glances. 'You're all mental,' Ron said finally.

'What did you do to my sister?' Harry asked angrily.

'They didn't do anything to me, Harry,' Shadow said impatiently. 'We're telling the truth.'

'Shadow,' Hermione in forced calm, 'it's not the truth. It can't be, the story makes no sense at all.'

'You haven't even heard the story yet,' Lupin interjected, running his hand through his greying hair. 'I suppose it all started with my being a werewolf...'

S

Sometime in the middle of Lupin's explanation, Shadow's attention diverted. She wanted to know what was going on as much as the next person, but she had sensed something else. Something much worst.

A coldness crept into her heart, a soul-rattling iciness that drained all the remaining cheer and happiness in her.

Dementors.

Shadow morphed into a cat and slipped out the door without anyone noticing. If dementors were closing in, Black wouldn't have any chance of escaping at all. And she seriously doubted that those disgusting creatures would restrain themselves when they swooped down to find a feast of seven people ramped up in emotion.

She ran up the creaky, dusty staircase to reach the attic of the Shrieking Shack. There, she managed to find one tiny window that wasn't boarded up.

Outside, the dementors were drifting nearer and nearer. The only reason why they hadn't swooped down onto them yet was because they weren't certain Sirius Black was in there.

Shadow turned human and extracted her wand. 'Expecto patronum,' she whispered, thinking of Harry.

A sleek silver wolf glided out of the end of her wand. It was a slender and elegant creature, its luminous eyes bright and intelligent. Shadow, who had seen her patronus only twice before this, smiled without meaning to.

'Keep them safe,' she instructed the wolf. It dipped its head, then turned and bounded through the wall.

Meanwhile, it was about time she got Dumbledore involved. The headmaster would know how to sort through this tangle of guilty and innocent.

The tunnel back to Hogwarts seemed doubly long as it got steadily frostier. The greater distance she put between herself and her patronus, the greater the icy numbness streaked into her heart. Had anyone else noticed their approaching presence yet? Probably not. Shadow's wolf should be able to hold of the dementors until she got to Dumbledore, and her encounter with Voldemort had left her more sensitive to the dementors' effects.

Shadow poked her hand cautiously out of the tunnel entrance, groping around for the knot that would stop the Whomping Willow from walloping her on the head when she came out. Her fingertips brushed it, and she felt more than saw the tree still. Shadow wriggled out the tunnel and -

'Psst, Shadow!'

She turned sharply. Two figures were crouched near the edge of the Forest. One of them waved her over.

Shadow stood there in indecision for a few moments, squinting through the darkness, trying to make out the two people. The waving turned frantic.

She warily made her way over to them. They were carefully hidden in the shadows, but she thought she saw a hulking creature behind them.

'Quickly, Shadow! You don't want to be seen!' The voice sounded insanely familiar...

'_Hermione?'_ Shadow asked in astonished disbelief. She pushed apart the bushes. '_Harry?'_

Her brother pulled her into the darkness of the trees. 'Yes, it's us.'

'But you're supposed to be in there!' Shadow pointed at the Whomping Willow. 'And is that a _hippogriff?_'

'We went back in time,' Hermione said in a way of explanation. 'To save Buckbeak and Sirius.'

'_What?'_

'Buckbeak is the hippogriff that hurt Malfoy's arm,' said Harry, 'he was supposed to be executed today at noon but we freed him.'

Harry pointed at the Willow. 'We came out, actually we will come out of the Shrieking Shack with Ron, Lupin, Sirius, and Peter - you were right, the rat _is _an Animagus - but we didn't know where you were -'

'Then Lupin turned into a werewolf and Peter freed himself,' Hermione interjected breathlessly.

'Sirius chased Lupin into the Forest and then tried going after Peter, but then he met the dementors and passed out,' Harry added.

'Harry and I followed him, but we also passed out because of the dementors. An unknown person saved us by producing a patronus, and we woke up in the hospital wing a few hours ago - I mean in the future.'

'Then Dumbledore told us we had to go back in time in order to save Sirius -'

'- so here we are -'

'- then Harry decided that we'd probably need your help -'

'- so I called you over and -'

'Woah, woah, woah!' Shadow cried. 'Slow down!'

She paused for a moment, composing herself, then pointed at Hermione, 'So you own a Time-Turner?'

'Yes.'

'Dumbledore told you to use it to save Sirius?'

'Yes.'

'Sirius is going to be killed if you don't get him out in time?'

'Yes.'

'And you're going to do this behind the back of the Ministry, against hundreds of dementors, and with a werewolf on the loose?'

'Er, yes.'

Shadow nodded. 'Right, just checking. So what's the plan?'

Harry grinned. 'I knew you'd say that.'

'We're going to have to wait until we're all out and back in the Hogwarts grounds to save Sirius,' Hermione said. 'He's in Flitwick's office, the thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower, so we're going to fly Buckbeak up there to rescue him.'

Shadow nodded again, then turned to Harry. 'So it _was _Pettigrew that betrayed our parents and caused us to be orphaned?'

'Yeah,' Harry looked resentfully across the dark grounds. 'But we're going to let him escape all over again.'

'Why?'

'Because _we must not be seen,_' Hermione hissed. 'It's one of the oldest laws of using the Time-Turners, and we can't break it!'

'Okay, okay.' Shadow settled herself against a tree.

'So why were you leaving the Shrieking Shack anyways?' Harry asked curiously.

'I was going to get Dumbledore,' Shadow said. 'I sensed dementors closing in on us in the Shrieking Shack, and I knew my feeble patronus wouldn't keep them away for long.'

'You can produce a patronus?' Harry was flabbergasted.

'I just learned.'

'What's it in the shape of?' Her brother leaned forward.

'A wolf.' Harry looked disappointed, visibly slumping back against his tree. 'Why?'

'I just thought it might have been you who saved us from the dementors.'

'Oh, no, believe me, I haven't done any dramatic saving lately.' Shadow smirked.

Harry snorted. 'I wouldn't say that, you saved Sirius's life when you stopped me from killing him.'

'You wouldn't have killed him anyways,' Shadow scoffed. 'You don't have it in you to be a murderer.'

_I know what it takes to be a murderer._

Shadow shoved that thought away.

Harry didn't seem to know what to say to that, so they waited in silence, watching the Whomping Willow as it abused passing birds.

'Here we come!' Hermione suddenly whispered after about half an hour.

They got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Lupin, Ron and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots, followed by the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upwards.

'How did Snape get there like that?' Shadow asked Hermione in a low voice.

'He saw the Marauder's Map on Lupin's desk when he came to deliver his Wolfsbane Potion and thought he could catch Sirius and Lupin single-handedly.'

'We stunned him,' Harry whispered proudly.

Shadow arched an eyebrow, then turned back to watch the Willow.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had his wand pointed at Pettigrew's head at all times. He was a short man, with a balding head and a rather shallow air around him. He was chained to both Lupin and Ron, who was limping but evidently utterly disgusted that his rat had turned into a man. Next came Harry, Hermione and Black. Shadow glanced from them to the two people beside her. Insane_._

Her brother shifted restlessly, his eyes boring into the cowering shape of Pettigrew.

'Harry,' Hermione muttered, watching him out of the corner of her eye, 'we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do...'

'All right!' Harry's voice made it clear he'd heard that lecture more than once.

The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement -

'There goes Lupin,' Hermione whispered. 'He's transforming -'

'Hermione!' said Shadow suddenly. 'Didn't you say that Lupin ran into the Forest after he transformed?'

Hermione gasped, and Harry leapt to his feet.

'Quick!' she moaned as Harry dashed to untie Buckbeak. 'Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors will be coming any moment -'

'Back to Hagrid's!' Harry and Shadow both pulled on Buckbeak's reins. 'It's empty now - come on!'

They ran, fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them...

The cabin was in sight. Shadow skidded to the door, wrenched it open and Harry, Hermione, and Buckbeak flashed past her. She threw herself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly.

'Shh, Fang, it's us!' said Hermione, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him.

'That was really close,' Harry said to Shadow, who had pressed up against the window.

'Yeah...'

'I think I'd better go outside again, you know,' Harry said after a while. 'We can't see what's going on - we won't know when it's time - '

Hermione looked up, her expression suspicious.

'I'm not going to try and interfere,' said Harry quickly. But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?'

'He's right,' Shadow looked at Hermione.

'Well... okay then... we'll wait here with Buckbeak,' Hermione said reluctlantly.

Harry stepped outside.

Shadow and Hermione waited in tense silence. Buckbeak shuffled his feathers, settling more comfortably into Hagrid's couch.

After several minutes of anxious glancing at the window, Hermione stood to peer outside.

'He's gone!'

'What!' Shadow bolted to her feet and flattened herself against the window as well. 'I thought he said he was just going to look!'

Hermione was already pulling Buckbeak reluctantly back on his feet. 'He's probably going to go to the lake to see who cast the patronus!'

'Why would he risk getting so near to the dementors?' Shadow yanked the door open.

'Because he thinks it's his - your - dad,' Hermione heaved on Buckbeak's halter.

'_What?'_

'Harry said he got a blurry look at our savior,' Hermione panted as they ran towards the lake, 'And he reckons its your father. I think he's hoping that if Peter Pettigrew was alive after all these years, it's possible that James Potter may be alive as well.'

Before Shadow could decide what to say to this extraordinary statement, they saw Harry standing by the side of the lake, his hand stretched outwards. He was in plain sight of the three fainted figures on the opposite shore and the retreating figures of hundreds of dementors.

'_What did you do?'_ Hermione asked fiercely, dragging Buckbeak towards him. 'You said you were only going to keep a lookout!'

'I just saved all our lives...' said Harry. 'Get behind here - behind this bush - I'll explain.'

Shadow and Hermione listened with their mouths open as Harry told them how _he_ had been the one to produce the powerful patronus.

'Did anyone see you?' Hermione asked immediately when Harry paused to take a breath.

'Someone did,' Shadow answered for him. 'Harry saw himself, but he thought it was our father, so it's okay!'

Hermione looked at Harry in something akin to awe. 'Harry, I can't believe it - you conjured up a patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That's very, _very_ advanced magic...'

'I knew I could do it this time,' said Harry, 'because I'd already done it... Does that make sense?'

'No,' Shadow shook her head, 'but I'll just nod and pretend I understood - look it's Snape!'

Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. The bat-like countenance of Snape could be recognized conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Black onto them. There was a fourth stretcher floating behind him - Ron.

'Right - it's nearly time,' Hermione checked her watch anxiously after Snape disappeared towards the castle with his four unconscious companions in tow, 'We've got about fourty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing...'

They waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak was ferreting for worms again.

Then - 'Someone's coming out of the castle!'

'Macnair!' Harry exclaimed. 'The executioner - he's gone to get the dementors! This is it, guys!'

He knelt to give the two girls a leg up to Buckbeak's broad back, then clambered on himself.

With a great lurch, Buckbeak soared straight into the air. Shadow gripped his flanks with her knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath them. They glided silently towards the upper floors of the castle, counting the windows that flashed past -

'Woah!' Harry whispered, pulling backwards on Buckbeak's reins.

The hippogriff slowed down to a stop.

'He's there!' Shadow said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window.

Harry reached out and tapped sharply on the glass.

Sirius looked up. They saw his jaw drop. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

'Alohomora!' Hermione pointed her wand.

The window sprang open.

'How - _how - _?' Sirius managed weakly, staring at the Hippogriff.

'Get on - there's not much time,' said Harry. 'You've got to get out of here - the dementors are coming. Macnair's gone to get them.'

They all scooted tighter together to make space for a fourth person on the hippogriff. Sirius heaved himself out the window - lucky he was so thin - and managed to pull himself onto Buckbeak behind Hermione. Without waiting for instruction, the hippogriff flew up to the top of the West Tower, landing with a clatter as the three of them slipped off him.

'What happened to the other boy? Ron?' Sirius asked urgently from where he was still astride Buckbeak.

'He'll be okay. Quick - go!'

Sirius stared at the three of them. 'How can I ever thank - '

'GO!' Harry and Shadow shouted together.

Sirius wheeled the hippogriff around and squeezed his side with his heels. Within moments, they were gone.

'Come on,' Hermione said, 'We've got ten minutes to get back to the hospital wing!'

Harry cast the sky one last glance, then followed Shadow as she ran after Hermione.

When they finally reached the hospital wing, the door was opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.

'I am going to lock you in,' they heard him saying. 'It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck.'

He shut the door and looked up to see them. A wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. 'Well?'

'We did it!' Harry said breathlessly. 'Sirius has gone on Buckbeak...'

Dumbledore beamed. 'Well done, you three. And smart of you to pick up your sister along the way, Harry. I'll meet you in my office, Shadow, make sure no one sees you.'

She snorted. As if she hadn't been doing that for the past year.

'See ya!' Shadow flashed a quick grin at her brother and Hermione, then slipped into the darkness.

That had been impossibly fun.


	5. Chapter 5: Fourth Year

**Fourth Year :)**

* * *

_'Stupefy!'_

The spell blasted the chair backwards in a hurl of crimson sparks. It hit the wall and splintered to pieces.

Shadow didn't even bat an eye. '_Confringo!'_

Heat roared out of her wand and the table beside the chair (or what remained of it) exploded into pieces. Shrapnel of wood rained down.

Shadow wiped her brow, blinking the ash out of her eyes. The sweat left a pale streak on her otherwise grimy arm. She had been practicing for over two hours, repeatedly going over the long list of offensive and defensive spells she'd set upon herself to learn.

'Reparo,' she said wearily to the chair and table for the umpteenth time. The scattered pieces flew back together, but smoke still lingered in the air.

_The Ministry better let me back into Hogwarts this year,_ she thought irritably. _I can definitely defend myself well, both magically and physically._

'Accio!' Shadow pointed her wand at the four life-sized plastic dummies resting on the other side of the room.

They zoomed towards her, white arms outstretched.

'Incarcerous!' she shouted. Thin, snake-like ropes shot out of her wand and tangled themselves around two of the dummies. They tripped into a heap.

Shadow dropped to a roll to avoid the other two, causing them to sail over her head. She whirled around and drew the silver-green blade from her belt.

'Piertotum locomotor: attack me!'

The four dummies rose again, but this time on their feet. Now animated, they shuffled towards her at an alarmingly fast pace for creatures made of styrofoam.

Shadow twirled through them with practiced ease. She sent a stunning spell at one, chopped off the leg of another, and _expelliarmused_ the third one (which had picked up the chair to hit her on the head).

'Protego!' Shadow's shield charm deflected a punch from the last dummy and forced it far away from her.

She turned her attention back to the third dummy, which had recovered from losing its chair and tripping over a downed comrade. A soft blow to the head, which did nothing but sting her confidence, caught her by surprise - it had recovered way faster than she had expected. She lashed out with a leg and kicked it to the other side of the room. Following with one fluid movement, she tossed her knife after it.

The blade impaled the dummy straight in the heart.

Silence descended upon the room apart from Shadow's rapid breathing. Specks of styrofoam was spilt all over the floor like blood, surrounding the mess of plastic severed limbs and lifeless dummies

Shadow averted her eyes as she went to retrieve the dagger. If she hadn't been so bent on proving she could look after herself, she would have been thoroughly alarmed by how violent she'd gotten.

After last year, where she had spent the whole time hiding as a cat, she was determined to return to Hogwarts as a proper student. She hadn't been one since first year. Shadow had already learned how to deal with unpleasant mental intrusions, and the threat of Sirius Black had been nonexistent to begin with. Now she was merely training herself up physically and magically until the Ministry would have no excuse to bar her from Hogwarts again. Shadow had insisted on living by herself this summer so she could practice, and also to show them that she wasn't a weak child anymore. It had taken much pleading and many threats until the Ministry had finally willingly granted her a small safehouse in a well-off neighborhood in London, and even then she knew that they had posted many protective precautions on it beforehand. An up-side of the arrangement, though, was that she could perform as much magic as she liked, since she knew many Ministry officials lived nearby as well.

Shadow tromped back up the stairs, locking the basement door behind her. She'd clean up the mess tomorrow - she was too worn to do it now.

Upstairs, her living area was quite large for one person - it had obviously been built for at least four. Helinky, the house-elf the Ministry had given her, was wiping down the marble fireplace. She turned, ears flapping, at the sound of Shadow's approach.

'Mistress Shadow has finished her exercise?' Helinky asked, a subtle disapproving tone in her squeaky voice. 'I made some cookies for Mistress Shadow on the kitchen table.

'Thank you, Helinky,' Shadow said tiredly, making her way to the bathroom.

She was sitting at the table, freshly showered and munching on the still-warm cookies when the doorbell rang.

'Should I get it, Mistress Shadow?' Helinky's voice came somewhere from elbow-height.

Shadow frowned. Who could be visiting? Surely not Snape or Dumbledore. Snape had come over a few times, but seeing her had seemed to remind him too much of her hated brother, so he had left not ten minutes after each visit. Dumbledore had kept up a continuous stream of letters with Shadow, her only correspondent besides Harry and Sirius Black, but he had never visited. 'No, it might be a muggle.'

She went and opened the door. Standing in front of her was indeed a muggle, a girl around her age with sable hair and large, amber eyes.

'Oh, hello,' Shadow said blankly. It was Natalie, one her her muggle neighbors. How she had managed to find her was beyond Shadow; she didn't recall giving the muggle her address. The first time they met, they had both been jogging around the neighborhood. The second time, Natalie had crept up on Shadow and scared the wits out of her when she was sending a letter to Harry. Shadow still cringed when she remembered the wildly made-up reason she'd come up with when Natalie had commented on her beautiful pet hawk.

'Hey, Shadow!' Natalie greeted her brightly. She was dressed in a sleeveless purple sundress, which complimented her tanned skin nicely. 'I just wanted to come by and say hello - I don't really have anything to do for the next hour. Can I come in?'

'Oh, sure.' Shadow moved out of her way, fervently hoping Helinky had hidden herself somewhere.

Natalie peered around the house. 'Nice place.'

Shadow wasn't fooled. From her two conversations with this muggle, she had figured out that Natalie came from an extremely wealthy background - she said her father was some rich business tycoon - and that she lived in the biggest, most expensive house in the district. Shadow's little home would seem like a mud house compared to her mansion.

'Do I smell cookies?' The other girl ask, looking a little longingly at the kitchen.

Shadow started. 'Uh oh, I just finished them all.'

'Oh it's okay,' Natalie laughed. 'I'm expected back home for tea soon anyways.'

'Are you sure?' Shadow asked, who easily saw through Natalie's lie. 'I have a recipe for quiche that I've been meaning to try, but I haven't gotten around to actually making it.'

Natalie brightened. 'Really? I've always wanted to try cooking, but my father always says I have better things to do.'

'Of course,' Shadow lead her to the kitchen, which was fortunately Helinky-free. 'Just wait while I grab the recipe.'

She darted up the stairs to her bedroom. 'Helinky!' she hissed.

A muted crack announced the house-elf's presence.

'I need a quiche recipe, do you think you can make one?'

'Of course, Mistress Shadow.' Helinky closed her eyes for a moment, then snapped her long, spindly fingers together. A sheet of paper materialized in her hands. 'Here you go, Mistress Shadow.'

'Thank you so much, Helinky!'

Shadow ran back down the stairs, where Natalie had seated herself in one of the kitchen chairs. 'Here we go!'

'So,' Natalie began as she perused the recipe. 'How does this work?'

Fortunately, Natalie was a lot less of an imbecile in the kitchen than she had first let on. She caught on quickly after Shadow explained the system of cooking measurements and ingredients. There were no spills, no fires, nor any other accidents. Soon, deliciously tantalizing smells wafted out of the kitchen and spread throughout the house.

'Mmm, it's actually pretty good!' Natalie exclaimed in a surprised kind of pride when they sat down to try the end product.

Shadow laughed. 'You're pretty good in the kitchen.'

'You really think so?' Natalie paused in the middle of another bite, mulling over the thought.

'Yes,' Shadow smiled. 'You should cook more often.'

'Cooking is more fun if I can do it with someone,' Natalie fixed her brilliant amber gaze on Shadow. 'Can I come over again soon? Try another dish together?'

Shadow was torn between alarm, amusement, and gratitude. She hadn't expected to make a new friend this summer - much less a muggle friend. But why not? After all, _she_ had been living a muggle life not three years ago.

'Sure.' The giant smile that spread across Natalie's face made Shadow feel a little bit awkward. Hopefully Natalie wouldn't depend _too_ much on their friendship - she'd be gone after this summer anyways.

They played muggle card games for the rest of the evening. It soon became apparent to Shadow that though Natalie appeared to have everything a girl would want - a rich father, a beautiful home, gorgeous features, and good grades - she was in danger of feeling lonely. Her father was always traveling around the world for business meetings, and her mother had died conceiving her.

'Do you live alone?' Natalie asked her as she put down an ace of hearts.

'Uhm,' Shadow fidgeted with her cards. 'Temporarily.'

'You could come over to my place, you know. We can cook there as well.'

Before Shadow could deign to reply, Natalie looked at the clock and jumped up in alarm. 'Oh no, look at the time! I should have been home an hour ago!'

She hurried to grab her stuff. 'And I'm going to rephrase my earlier statement, Shadow. You _will_ come to my house soon, and I'll teach you how to dress properly.'

Shadow opened the door for her and said indignantly, 'I know how to dress properly!'

Natalie snorted, looking at her oversized black shirt and dark green yoga pants. 'You know how to dress _comfortably_,' she corrected.

'Oh shush.' Shadow shut the door to Natalie's pealing laughter.

How far from the wizarding world she was now.

S

Draco Malfoy was bored.

He checked his watch for the fifth time in five minutes, leaning against a pristine wall in one of London's most high-end shopping streets.

Blaise should have been here ten minutes ago. _He_ had been the one who had wanted to meet in such a crowded muggle place, filled with muggles wearing all sorts of complicated clothing. Though Draco wasn't exactly averse to the muggle fashion - after all, it was much more flattering than wizarding robes - he wasn't a huge fan of it either. It was merely a necessity all magic folk had to take care of in order to avoid suspicion from the muggles.

Besides, Draco knew that Blaise had suggested meeting here only because he wanted to take a look at some of the muggle girls. Draco couldn't really fault him with that - the pureblood girls had dwindled to pathetic creatures like Pansy Parkinson. Blaise would never actually date a muggle, of course, but a guy could appreciate the view once in a while.

Finally, Blaise arrived. 'Sorry I'm late,' he said, still managing to sound unconcerned and suave as he jogged up to Draco. 'I saw someone that made me stop and gawk for a really long time.'

'Let me guess,' Draco drawled, 'she's a girl.'

Blaise snorted. 'Of course she's a girl. But we know this girl. Look over there, beneath the tree.'

Draco turned to see what he was nodding at. Two girls sat in the shade of a large cherry tree. They were quite attractive, both of them, but Draco didn't really see what Blaise was fussing about.

'No, look closely. The one wearing the green top?'

Draco looked again. One of them had dark brown hair that flowed down her back to the blue skirt she was wearing. The other one had raven hair bunched up in a ponytail - she was the one wearing a sleeveless seafoam top with black jeans.

The girl turned and leaned over the bench to grab her bag from the floor. In the moment that sunlight flashed across her face, Draco did a double-take.

'Shadow Potter?' he asked incredulously.

'She's grown quite a bit, hasn't she?' Blaise commented.

He was right. The last time they'd seen her was at the end of their first year, if you didn't count the brief glimpse they'd had of her at the end of second year. That was almost three years ago. Now she was tall and slender, her face sharper and more distinct. And, though Draco refused to admit that he'd noticed, she'd also gotten much curvier.

Shadow's pretty friend got to her feet. 'Come on,' Draco heard her say from across the street, 'There's a new Valentino shop down the street.'

Muggle. What was Shadow doing with a muggle girl?

Shadow followed her rather reluctantly. She had gotten so much more willowy that Draco wouldn't have recognized her if he hadn't seen the familiar piercing green eyes.

'I can't believe you convinced me to wear this,' Shadow grumbled, picking at her green top. 'I feel so exposed.'

'Don't be ridiculous, they show your slender arms off nicely.' The muggle dragged her friend down the streets, coming closer to where Draco and Blaise were still loitering. 'I don't know why you don't do this more often. You're good-looking enough to drive most boys insane.'

Shadow rolled her eyes. 'What boys?'

'Oh, hm, what about those two? The handsome blond and dashing dark-haired boy?'

Draco turned very quickly and pretended to be scanning the street for someone else, splaying a lofty and bored expression on his face. They were almost level with them now, and Shadow's sharp intake of breath floated clearly through the few meters of distance between them.

Draco glanced around, unable to resist. Their eyes met for a moment, vivid green and cold silver. Then Shadow jerked around and yanked her bewildered friend back the way they came from. Within seconds, they had disappeared from view.

'Well, she certainly seemed pleased to see you,' Blaise said in amusement after a slight pause.

Draco winced inwardly. She'd probably only remember him as a bully; he had made her first year quite miserable. _Was that the reason why she never came back to Hogwarts?_ he thought. No, he refused to think that.

'Potter's sister.' Draco curled his lip in a convincing sneer. 'Of course she'd be pleased to see me.'

Blaise turned away, satisfied. 'Come on, we should get to Diagon Alley for our dress robes before it becomes too crowded. I've had my fill of muggles today.'

However, it seemed that Shadow Potter was determined to haunt Draco that day. After selecting a striking black dress robe for the Triwizard Tournament, he returned home in time for dinner - and some unexpected news.

'Professor Snape is visiting us tomorrow, dear,' Narcissa Malfoy informed her son. 'And he's not coming alone.'

'Oh?' Draco's fork held suspended in the air as he looked from his mother to his father. 'Who's also coming? The Nott family?'

'No.' Lucius Malfoy folded up the Daily Prophet he'd been reading. 'Shadow Potter.'

'_What_? Why?'

His mother gave him a slightly disapproving glance. 'Severus told us she'd been alone all summer so we invited her along. She is a nice girl, be kind to her.'

'She's good at potions,' was all his father said.

Draco stared at his parents in surprise. Since when had Shadow Potter gotten such approval from his parents? She was half-blood, her mother had been a mudblood, and she was the insolent Harry Potter's sister. What could his parents possibly want to do with her? His mother, he could understand - she had a soft heart beneath her outwardly cold demeanor - but his father? Shadow fell right into the category of people that usually deserved Lucius Malfoy's contempt and derision.

'I taught her for a year,' Lucius reminded his son, as if he had felt compelled to explain himself.

'I... see.' Draco brought his fork to his mouth and chewed. Seeing his mother's suspicious look, he changed the topic. 'I bought my dress robes today.'

Thus, the conversation shifted, but his thoughts did not. They remained constantly on the unwelcome piece of information, flickering through irritation, embarrassment, disdain, and curiosity. That night, Draco's dreams were troubled by an insistent pair of accusing green eyes.

By the time the doorbell rang the next morning, Draco was already so antsy that he'd read and reread the paragraph on magical communities in Ancient Greece and Rome at least twenty times. The History of Magic essay he'd been trying to complete for the last two hours still remained as glaringly blank as when he had started.

Draco heard the gentle murmurs of his parents exchanging pleasantries with the guests. He stared down at his book, making sure his posture was relaxed as he lounged on the sofa of the living room. Soft footsteps soon told him his parents had invited the visitors into the living room.

'Draco,' his mother called, 'Come greet our guests.'

He rose fluidly to his feet, sliding the book carelessly across the table. Lucius had already moved to take his usual armchair by the fireplace, but his mother was still standing by the doorway next to Snape and Shadow.

'Professor Snape,' Draco said smoothly, 'So good to see you, sir.'

'And you as well, Draco,' his potions teacher replied. 'How has your summer been?'

'Paris was very nice. I met a couple of Beauxbaton girls that I'll be glad to see when they visit us at Hogwarts this year.'

'Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament.' Snape's lips curled. 'I don't believe I told you about it yet, Shadow?' He turned to her.

Shadow, who had been looking around at the impressive room, refocused on the conversation. 'No, I don't believe so.'

'Come, Severus,' Narcissa said, herding them to the sofas. 'There is tea here and we can talk more comfortably. Draco can explain to Shadow what the Triwizard Tournament is.'

Snape followed, leaving Draco and Shadow to stand awkwardly beside each other.

'Hello Draco,' Shadow said stiffly. 'Long time no see.'

'Shadow.' Draco inclined his head.

There was another pause.

'So what's the Triwizard Tournament?' Shadow finally asked.

'It's a magical contest held between the three largest wizarding schools of Europe: Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons.' Draco explained. 'It's designed to test magical ability, intelligence, and courage. Each school is represented by one Champion, and they all compete for the Triwizard Cup.'

Shadow digested this in silence, then, 'So there's going to be a Triwizard Tournament this year at Hogwarts?'

'Yeah.' Draco moved to the windows on the other side of the room, forcing Shadow to follow. 'They were discontinued after 1792 because of the alarming death toll, but I think they're gonna give it another try this year because they reckon they've improved the security measures enough to prevent anymore casualties.'

'Oh.'

Draco watched Shadow in the reflection of the window as she dithered for a moment, clearly wondering if she was to continue talking to him. She made up her mind and went away to the sofas.

He turned back to watch a white peacock strut in the Malfoy gardens.

'Are you going to the Quidditch Cup?'

Draco started. Shadow had come back, a tea biscuit in hand as she, too, watched the peacock.

'Yes. The Minister gave Father prime seats.'

'Oh,' Shadow said rather wistfully. 'I'm not going. Mr. Weasley offered, but I refused.'

'Why?'

Shadow shrugged.

When it became clear that was all the answer Draco was going to get, he switched to: 'Are you going back to Hogwarts this year?'

An unrestrained smile spread across her face. 'Yes. Professor Snape just told me.'

'Oh.' He didn't know what to say to that.

'Don't worry,' Shadow's viridescent eyes glinted. 'I'm all caught up with our school subjects. I can still beat you at potions.'

Draco snorted. 'If I recall correctly, you never actually beat me.'

Shadow smirked. 'We'll see.'

The afternoon passed with much more ease after that.

S

'Shadow!'

She turned around in time to almost be bowled over by someone with very bushy hair.

'Oh, hello Hermione,' Shadow laughed, a little surprised. She and Hermione hadn't been _that _close last year. 'It's good to see you too.'

'What have you been doing all summer? You look so... fit!'

Shadow smiled. 'You just haven't seen me as a human for a while.'

Then she spotted the two boys standing behind her. 'Harry! Ron!'

Her brother hugged her, while Ron grinned. 'How was your summer?'

'Not bad. How was the Quidditch Cup?'

Harry pulled a face. 'The game itself was amazing, but afterwards... Did you read the Daily Prophet?'

'Yes. I saw the Dark Mark.'

'Yeah. We were feet away from the person who cast it, we heard his voice. And he used _my_ wand too!'

'What?'

'He also framed Winky, Barty Crouch's house-elf.' Hermione interjected angrily.

Shadow blinked. 'I see we have a lot of catching up to do.'

'Ron, we should get on the train.' A freckled redhead said from behind them. Beside him, an identical boy was glancing around the station. They must've been the infamous Weasley twins, Fred and George.

'Oh hi.' One of the twins caught sight of her. 'Are you Harry's sister?'

'Yes.' And she was introduced to Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, and Mrs. Weasley, who came up pushing trolleys.

'I'm so glad to have met you at least, dear,' Mrs. Weasley said fondly. 'Harry's told me so much about you.'

'I've heard a lot about you too.' Shadow glanced around at the sea of redheads, trying not to feel daunted. 'There are so many of you!'

Bill grinned, his fanged earring glinting. 'There are usually more, but dad and Percy had to go help the Ministry settle the havoc the Quidditch Cup caused.'

Shadow glanced at Ginny. 'So much testosterone in your household.'

'I know right?' Ron's sister flipped her red hair over her shoulders. 'Honestly, Hogwarts is the place for me to distance myself from the male population as much as possible.'

Shadow laughed, instantly liking her.

The trained whistled, reminding them all of the need for haste. The four Weasleys, Harry, Shadow, and Hermione all grabbed their trunks and hurried onto the train. Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie all waved at them as the train started to move and speed up.

'There's a free compartment.' Harry picked up his trunk and started making his way down the aisle.

Shadow followed, but before she reached it, the compartment door beside their's flew open.

Daphne Greengrass halted in her steps when she saw Shadow.

Shadow opened her mouth to greet her, but then shut it abruptly. Daphne didn't know that Shadow had spent most of last year curled up beside her in the Slytherin common room as her beloved cat friend.

'Hi,' she decided to say.

'You're back!'

'Yeah.' Behind Daphne, Tracey Davis had poked her head out curiously. If she was in there, that mean Pansy Parkinson was likely to be there too. And probably the Slytherin guys.

Shadow hefted her trunk just as Harry slid the compartment door open.

'Is there a problem?' Then Harry saw Daphne, and his mouth moved in a silent 'oh'.

'I'll be back.' Shadow slid her trunk towards her brother. He took it rather reluctantly, sending Daphne a rather fierce look before he shut the compartment door again.

'Are you staying for good?' Daphne was still staring at her.

'I hope so.'

'Oh, good.' Daphne stared for a little longer, then said, 'Would you like to come in?'

'Okay.' Shadow stepped into the compartment.

Her guess had been correct. Pansy and Tracey were in there, along with Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Draco Malfoy and his two thug friends - Crabbe and Goyle (she'd never actually bothered to learn their names).

All of them swiveled and gawked.

A full minute passed and none of them spoke.

Shadow resisted the urge to check her reflection in the window of the train. Was there something on her face? Why was everyone staring at her so much? Sure, the surprise at her return was acceptable, but the ogling didn't make much sense.

Blaise recovered first. 'Why hello, Potter. It's good to see you again.'

Shadow shot him a haughty look, knowing he was thinking about seeing her with Natalie. 'Zabini,' she acknowledged.

'Here.' Daphne shoved Pansy's trunk unceremoniously to the ground to clear the seat beside her. 'You can sit.'

Shadow sat, then watched in amusement as the Slytherins silently commanded each other to start the conversation. Finally, Daphne braved the elephant in the room.

'Why were you gone?'

Shadow hesitated. Snape had given her an adequate cover story, but it made her look weak. 'Health issues,' she said reluctantly.

'The Ministry was worried about your health?' Theodore asked rather skeptically. 'You look perfectly fine to me.'

'Thanks,' Shadow said rather dryly.

'How are you all caught up with your schoolwork?' asked Daphne. It didn't escape Shadow that she was the only girl who addressed her. Pansy and Tracey were both shooting dagger-looks at her, but then Shadow had never really gotten along with them anyways.

'I had tutors.'

'She reckons she can beat me in potions,' Draco drawled. She finally glanced his way, still nettled by his presence. Though they had passed the afternoon at Malfoy Manor in a civilized manner, Shadow couldn't help but wonder what Draco thought of her hanging around muggles. It also didn't help that he had shot up in height over the summer, and he now towered over her half a head when he stood.

'You saw her over the summer?' Pansy asked at once, giving Shadow another disgusted glare.

'She came over to Malfoy Manor once before the Quidditch Cup,' Draco said carelessly. 'With Professor Snape.'

Pansy looked horrified. 'I didn't get to go to your place this summer!'

Daphne and Shadow both sighed under their breaths at the same time, causing them to grin at each other.

'I'm actually quite glad to see you,' Daphne said earnestly as Blaise further antagonized the jealous Pansy. 'I've been going insane with only these two as company.' She tilted her head in Tracey and Pansy's direction.

Shadow snorted. 'I don't know how you managed it. I would've buried my head in the ground a long time ago.'

Daphne nodded fervently in agreement, but then seeing that Tracey had turned her attention to their conversation, said instead, 'Do you know about the Triwizard Tournament?' and the discussion steered towards the other two wizarding schools.

'Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know.' Draco propped his feet up on the seat opposite him. 'He knows the Headmaster, you see, but Mother didn't like the idea of sending me so far away...'

'I've always wanted to learn French,' Daphne said wistfully. 'It sounds so sophisticated.'

'I know how to speak French.' Blaise preened.

Daphne made a face. 'Huh, my impression of the language just got downgraded - '

' - since you're nowhere near sophisticated.' Shadow finished for her. The two girls high-fived, laughing at Blaise's outraged expression.

'Not fair,' he complained. 'They teamed up against me!'

Shadow laughed again. She was finally going to Hogwarts, and it seemed that her housemates had also began to accept her as well.

She went to sit with Harry very briefly in the middle of the train ride before eventually returning to the Slytherins. When she and Daphne returned from the lunch trolley, however, Shadow faced her first trial into the serpent house.

'Where's Draco?' Daphne asked when they reentered the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle were gone too.

'Oh, he heard Potter and Weasley in the other compartment.' Blaise reached over and took a Chocolate Frog from her, but Shadow didn't miss the subtle glance he gave her.

She clenched her teeth. It wasn't as if she hadn't expected this, but she really didn't want to have to choose between her brother and her housemates. She could hear them now. They were all howling derisively at Ron's dressrobes.

Shadow stuck her head out the compartment. 'Draco, if you don't take your share of the lunch soon, we're going to finish it all up!'

The laughter died rather abruptly, and she heard him say a parting insult to Ron before he returned to their compartment.

'Thanks for the heads-up, Potter,' he said casually, sliding back into his seat and grabbing a handful of sweets.

Everyone seemed to be watching Shadow for her reaction. She made a quick decision. 'If that's the guy who invented the Dungbomb, Alberic Grunnion, give him to me.' She pointed at the Chocolate Frog in Draco's hand. 'I'm still missing him.'

She passed the test. Draco smirked and opened it. 'Nope, sorry, just Gwenog Jones.'

Shadow sat back and crossed her arms as the attention dispersed. Her fingers were gripping her forearm rather tightly.

_'_That was done in a very tactful manner.' Daphne told her in a low voice.

Shadow didn't reply. She may have passed the test, but it felt as if she had just betrayed her own brother.

S

The ceiling of the Great Hall reflected heavy clouds of pewter grey that swirled overhead as Shadow, Daphne, and the other Slytherins went down for breakfast the next day. Everywhere around them, they could hear people discussing magical methods of bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore had announced during the Welcome Feast that only students over seventeen would be allowed to submit their name into the Tournament.

'Are you thinking of trying to get in, Draco?' Pansy asked somewhere down the table.

'Nah.' Draco stretched luxuriously. 'I've got enough gold and glory to my name already. I'll give other people a chance.' He winked at Theodore's eye-roll.

'Is anyone thinking of trying?' This time, Pansy directed the question at all of them, though she didn't spare Shadow a half-glance.

Shadow briefly considered the possibility of her becoming the Hogwarts champion. It held no appeal to her whatsoever - she didn't really feel like she needed more spotlight in her life.

Everyone on the Slytherin table seemed to agree. So much for ambition. She supposed that many of them didn't really have a reason to seek out more riches for the family, since it seemed to be a running trait for Slytherin families to be wealthy and powerful. Most of Slytherin's ambition lay elsewhere.

'Ugh,' said Daphne, looking at her new timetable. 'We have McGonagall first thing in the morning. I swear everything leaked out of my brain over the summer.'

'Why are you still taking Divination?' Shadow peered over her shoulder. 'I thought you hated it.'

'I tried to switch to Arithmancy but the class was all full... how did you know I hated Divination?' Daphne looked up.

'Oh,' Shadow groped wildly for an idea. 'Tracey told me.'

'Huh.' Luckily, Daphne didn't seem overly suspicious. 'What classes are you taking?'

Shadow showed her.

'Oh wow, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. You're going to be in Draco and Blaise's class for the first one.'

Shadow knew this, of course. She'd taken classes with them last year, albeit in a more hidden manner than usual, but for her friend's sake she grimaced.

Transfiguration passed relatively easily for Shadow. Professor McGonagall was obviously quite pleased she was finally back in school. She was also the only one who managed to turn the wooden statue of a bunny into a real rabbit, which had drawn many surprised looks and some resentful ones.

'How are you so good?' Tracey complained when they left the Charms classroom afterwards. The class had passed similarly the way Transfiguration had. 'You're supposed to be behind! Don't tell me tutors are better than Hogwarts teachers.'

Shadow dropped her bag onto a seat in the Great Hall and plopped down beside it. 'Don't worry, Transfiguration and Charms are my best subjects. I won't be as good in all the other subjects.'

She took generous helpings of the food on the table, trying ignore the heads turned in her direction. All morning, she'd heard people in the hallways asking each other: 'Who is _she_?' Many people from her own year had done double-takes as well when they saw her, as if they hadn't recognized her. How lovely to know how quickly people had forgotten her.

'You left your quill behind, Potter.' A voice drifted lazily from behind them.

Shadow turned. Draco's gray eyes glittered with something she couldn't decipher. 'Oh. Right. Thanks.'

When he had went away, Shadow returned to her mash potatoes, only to find Daphne contemplating her with a queer expression.

'What?'

'Have you noticed how many boys have been staring at you throughout the day?'

Shadow looked bewildered. 'Boys? I thought it was just people in general!'

Daphne shook her head. 'No, it's definitely a majority of guys.'

'Why?' Shadow panicked. 'What did I do wrong?'

Her friend looked at her for a moment in disbelief, then burst out laughing, drawing looks from neighboring tables. 'What did you do wrong!' Daphne choked out. 'Are you really so clueless?'

Shadow rubbed her neck, uncertain whether she was supposed to be apologizing or feeling indignant.

When Daphne's laughter finally subsided, she said, 'Have you looked in the mirror recently?'

Shadow glanced down at herself. Her Hogwarts uniform was just like everyone else's.

'No, at yourself - your face!'

She frowned. 'What's wrong with my face?'

Daphne grinned. 'What's wrong? It's just that it somehow turned devastatingly attractive over the span of a couple of years!'

Shadow blinked. Then blinked again. Devastatingly attractive?

'You know Pansy and Tracey have been complaining non-stop about you because they think you'll steal all the boys' attention?' Daphne started shaking with mirth again, barely able to get her words out. 'I can't believe you didn't notice - you're easily one of the prettiest girls in our year now!'

Shadow could only stare.

Daphne doubled-over in laughter at her expression. This time, Blaise couldn't resist sticking his nose in.

'What are you two laughing about?'

'Nothing,' Daphne gasped for breath. 'Just Shadow and her obliviousness.'

'I didn't - ' Shadow spluttered. ' I'm not... That's not... That's not true!'

But after lunch, she started to see signs that fit in with Daphne's statement. Everywhere she looked, boys of various ages smiled back. When she walked down the halls to her Ancient Runes class, two Ravenclaw boys came up to introduce themselves. She didn't even have to open the door to the classroom - Anthony Goldstein was already there holding it for her.

When the class was finally over, Shadow was the first one out the door. _I think I finally understand why ignorance can be bliss, _she thought. Now that Daphne had pointed it out, it was difficult to not notice the excessive attention she was receiving. _I don't want attention_! _I just want to be normal!_

When Shadow rounded the corner down the marble staircase, she was greeted with strange sight.

The scarred ex-Auror, Professor Moody, had his wand out and pointed at a snowy-white ferret, making it bounce up and down on the floor. Its squeals of pain made several first-year girls cringe as the ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. A small crowd had gathered nearby, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as Crabbe and Goyle, who were both wringing their hands helplessly.

' - attack when their opponent's back's turned,' Moody was growling. 'Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do. 'Never - do - that- again - ' he emphasized each word with a painful smack to the ground.

'Professor Moody!' a shocked voice sounded from behind Shadow. Professor McGonagall appeared with her arms full of books. She stared at the ferret, even as Moody bounced it higher. 'What - what are you doing?'

'Teaching,' Moody said calmly.

'Teach- Moody, _is that a student?'_ Professor McGonagall shrieked, books spilling out of her arms.

'Yep.'

'No!' cried Professor McGonagall, running forward and pulling out her wand. A moment later, Draco Malfoy appeared where the ferret had been bouncing, lying in a heap on the floor. His usually sleek blond hair was now wild and tousled, his face flushed with pain and humiliation. He got to his feet, wincing.

'Moody, we _never_ use Transfiguration as a punishment!' Professor McGonagall said weakly. 'Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?'

'He might've mentioned it, yeah.' Moody didn't sound one bit concerned. 'But I thought a good, sharp shock - '

'We give detentions or speak to the offender's Head of House!'

'I'll do that, then.' Moody looked at Draco with great dislike.

'No,' Professor McGonagall said firmly. 'I believe Malfoy has quite learned his lesson. Go speak to Snape if you must, but the boy should go to the Hospital Wing just in case.'

'I'm fine, Professor.' Draco limped backwards away from Moody, eyeing him with great apprehension and malevolence.

'Someone help him to the Slytherin common room, then.' Professor McGonagall looked around and spotted Shadow. 'Shadow, you do it. Now everyone else, shoo!'

Shadow approached Draco warily. If her two summers with Snape had taught her anything, it was that a man with an injured pride was about as dangerous as a tiger.

He stalked off without waiting for her, snatching up his bag and walking towards the dungeons as fast as his bruised knees could let him. Wordlessly, Shadow followed him.

Before he reached the common room entrance, however, Shadow spoke up. 'Are you sure you want to go in there right now?'

For a moment, she thought he would just ignore her and push through the portrait hole, but he stopped before he touched the wall, breathing hard. He didn't look around, but Shadow knew he was thinking her words over. Blaise and Theodore were probably in the common room, along with Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey. His uniform was untucked, and he was still hobbling slightly.

'Here, follow me.' Shadow marched off without looking to see if Draco followed.

She walked up to the Northern Astronomy Tower, occasionally slipping into the secret passageways she'd found last year to avoid crowded halls. The sun had already set, and the stars had come out. Shadow settled herself in her favorite spot that overlooked the Great Lake.

A couple of minutes later she heard Draco sit down as well, though he made sure to pick a spot that was out of Shadow's peripheral vision. She didn't mind; that way, she could just pretend he wasn't there. Shadow took out her black leather notebook, lay on her stomach, and began drawing.

Draco was the first to speak after several long moments of silence, his voice a little rough. 'Did you come here often in first year?'

Shadow didn't look up. 'Yes.'

He was quiet for a moment, then, 'I used to come here too. In second and third year.'

She almost blurted 'I know', but managed to stop in time.

There was another stretch of silence, the longest yet.

'I'm sorry,' he said suddenly. 'I'm sorry for being so mean to you in first year.'

Shadow finally lifted her head. He wasn't looking at her, instead he was gazing out at the lake, where the moon had evaded the wispy grasps of dark clouds long enough to look at its reflection.

'You're forgiven,' she said simply. Then she returned to her sketch.

'What are you drawing?' Draco edged closer to look at her notebook.

Shadow lifted her hand to show him. She had drawn a ferret. But it wasn't a ruffled and shamed ferret, like Draco had been earlier. It was a proud, strutting ferret that had a confident lift of its head. She had colored its cold eyes mercury.

Shadow waited for some sort of comment, probably defensive or disdainful, but none came. She looked up at Draco, then flinched back in surprise at how close his face had been.

'Oh, sorry.' He scooted back.

Shadow could tell he was trying to think of something witty to say, something that would salvage some of his ruined dignity on the topic of ferrets, but nothing came out. Deciding that it might be kinder to allow him to just avoid the conversation altogether, Shadow shut her notebook and got to her feet.

'Come on, or we'll be late for Arithmancy.'

Draco followed her. This time, there was no limp to his step.

S

It was the thirtieth of October, the day Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were to arrive.

'First years in front, no pushing.' Snape said, flinty eyes sweeping over all of the Slytherins as they shuffled in position down the front steps of the castle to take their place amongst all the other Hogwarts students lined up there. 'Goyle, straighten your hat. Miss Davis, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair.'

Tracey scowled and removed the bright pink ribbon from her braid.

Classes that morning had been extremely inattentive. The students had been much too interested in the arrival of the other two schools that evening to focus in class. Of course, Snape had threatened to poison them if they didn't focus on their antidotes, and Professor Moody didn't understand how _not_ to have constant vigilance, which had resulted in another trial of the Imperius Curse in the class just after lunch. On the other side of the line, Pansy's knees were still a jittery from being forced to breakdance.

Moody had been quite surprised to discover that the Slytherins seemed to have the greatest knack for throwing off the Imperius Curse when he tested it on them earlier on in the month. Unfortunately, that surprise had quickly turned into a determination to make them all master resisting the curse. Shadow had been the first one to be able to completely throw it off - actually, it hadn't had much affect on her to begin with. Voldemort's mind had been much harder to repel, and the process had not been unlike Occlumency.

Draco had been the second to withstand the curse, then Blaise and Nott. It took the entire class no more than two weeks to be able to resist the curse - all except Pansy. Shadow smirked at the implications that put on her true character.

Suddenly, Dumbledore called out from the back row, where he stood with the other teachers. 'Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!'

'Where?' asked many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

Shadow spotted it first. '_There!'_ she yelled, pointing over the Forest.

Something very large was hurtling across the indigo sky towards the castle.

'It's a dragon!' one of the first-years screeched.

'Don't be stupid, it's a flying house!'

The giant black shape skimmed over the the treetops of the Forbidden Forest until it reached the swath of moonlight near them. It was a gigantic, powder-blue carriage the size of a mansion, pulled by a dozen winged palominos that were as big as elephants.

The carriage thundered to a halt in front of the Hogwarts students, the golden horses tossing their enormous heads. For a moment, nothing moved. Then the carriage doors opened and a giant woman with a handsome, olive-skinned face stepped out. She was, in fact, the largest woman anyone had ever seen. The only person who could rival her height was Hagrid.

Dumbledore began to clap, and the rest of the Hogwarts students hurried to follow his lead. The woman smiled graciously and walked towards Dumbledore, who kissed her hand.

'My dear Madame Maxine,' he said warmly. 'Welcome to Hogwarts.'

'Dumble-dorr,' Madame Maxine's voice was low and deep. 'I 'ope I find you well?'

'On excellent form, I thank you.'

Behind Madame Maxine, a dozen boys and girls emerged from the carriage. Many of them were shivering, since their robes seemed to be made of fine silk.

'Are your Beauxbatons girls here?' Shadow heard Blaise murmur to Draco.

Beside Daphne, Pansy turned her head sharply to catch Draco's answer.

'No,' Draco said, scanning the blue-clad crowd again. 'I don't think so.'

Pansy's shoulders relaxed.

After telling Dumbledore how to handle her steeds, Madame Maxine lead her pupils into the castle, preferring to wait inside and warm up instead of waiting for Durmstrang.

It wasn't long before they arrived as well.

'The lake!' yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. 'Look at the lake!'

The black surface of the water, which had been smooth as a mirror a couple of minutes ago, was now bubbling and writhing, causing waves to wash over the muddy banks. Then out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared and a magnificent ship rose slowly out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight.

'It looks like a resurrected wreck,' Daphne whispered to Shadow. 'Like something out of a ghost story.'

She nodded in agreement. There was a strangely skeletal look about the ship.

It glided silently towards the shore, and a few moments later the Durmstrang students were tromping up the lawn towards them.

'Dumbledore!' A tall, thin man with an oily goatee called out in a hearty voice. 'How are you, my dear fellow?'

'Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff,' Dumbledore replied with a smile.

'Dear old Hogwarts,' Karkaroff looked up at the castle, smiling. But Shadow could see that his eyes remained cold and shrewd. 'How good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along into the warmth... you don't mind Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold...'

The boy Karkaroff beckoned forward had a prominent, curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He walked in a slightly duck-footed way.

'That's Krum!' Draco hissed, eyes wide with astonishment. 'It's Viktor Krum!'

All around them, similar whispers broke out.

'Who's Viktor Krum?' Shadow asked Daphne in a low voice as they filed into the castle after the Durmstrang students.

Her friend didn't question her lack of knowledge. 'He's one of the best Seekers in the world, apparently. He plays for the Bulgarian Quidditch team, and even though they lost the Cup, he was the one who caught the Snitch.'

To the boys' delight, the Durmstrang kids decided to sit at the Slytherin table. Beauxbatons had already settled onto the Ravenclaw one.

'Budge up, Shadow, they'll need more room that those three benches.' In his haste to make room for the Durmstrang students, Draco pushed Shadow right off the bench.

'Woah!' Shadow jerked forward and grabbed the edge of the table to keep from falling unceremoniously onto her behind.

Unexpectedly, a pair of hands from behind caught her by the shoulder and pushed her back on balance.

'Oh, I'm sorry - ' Draco froze, his eyes locked on something behind her.

'You vould vont to be careful,' a gruff voice informed him. 'Girls are delicate.'

It was Viktor Krum. His thick eyebrows were furrowed as he looked down the table. Most Durmstrang students had already seated themselves, leaving few choices for him to sit. Draco scooted closer to Shadow so that the seat on his other side would be one of the choices.

After a moment's hesitation, Krum sat down opposite her, between another Durmstrang boy and Theodore. Daphne snorted at Draco's disgruntled face.

'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests,' Dumbledore's voice echoed impressively around the Great Hall after everyone had settled. 'I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourself at home!'

The dishes in front of them filled with food. The house-elves had clearly outdone themselves this time - there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Shadow had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

'What is _that_?' Shadow asked, pointing at a dish that resembled a rather messed-up pizza.

'Pissaladière,' said Draco. Seeing her surprised look, he explained. 'I tried it in France when I went there over the summer. It's good.'

'What in the world is _that?_' Blaise gestured to a yellowish-whitish soup.

'Shkembe chorba,' Krum grunted.

'Come again?' asked Shadow.

'It's a traditional Bulgarian soup vith tripe and... ah...' he uttered a harsh syllable of Bulgarian.

'Oh... okay.'

'Vot are your names?'

'My name's Draco Malfoy,' said Draco at once. 'It's an honor to meet you in person. I saw you in the Top Box at the Quidditch Cup, of course, but I've always wanted to speak to you.'

The other Slytherins chimed in their introductions as well, then all looked at Shadow expectantly.

'Me?' She hesitated. 'I'm Shadow Potter.'

Krum nodded, then turned to respond to a comment his Bulgarian friend had said. Shadow sighed in relief. He hadn't recognized her last name.

The Great Hall seemed a lot more boisterous tonight, what with the three different colored uniforms mingling together: black, light blue, and blood red. Halfway through the meal a large, boyish man and a thin, stiff one walked in, taking the two empty seats besides Karkaroff and Maxine.

'That's Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and Barty Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.' Daphne leaned over the table to tell Shadow.

'He vas at the Quidditch Cup,' said Krum, frowning at Bagman. 'Vot is he doing here?'

Theodore glanced at the two new arrivals briefly, then went back to his beef. 'I think they organized the Tournament. It'd make sense for them to want to be here when it starts.'

It wasn't long before the last course was served and a pleasant tension filled the room. Dumbledore introduced the four judges: Madame Maxine, Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch, and himself. He explained the rules, the submission, and the Goblet of Fire.

Then, at last, 'The casket, if you please, Mr Filch.'

Filch brought forward a heavily jeweled chest and set it on the high table. Dumbledore tapped his wand three times against it, and the box opened, revealing a large, wooden cup filled to the brim with dancing, white-blue fire.

'Just drop your slip of parchment here if you wish to enter the Tournament. I will be drawing an age-line around it to ensure no one under seventeen will join. You have twenty-four hours to submit your name.' Dumbledore smiled at the students, all of whom were hanging on his every word. 'Now I think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all!'

There was a loud scraping of chairs as everyone got up and started heading across the Hall to the doors. Harry, Ron, and Hermione pushed through the convergence of students towards where Shadow was hanging back, waiting for the crowd bottled at the Entrance Hall to disperse. Daphne saw them coming and waved a hasty goodbye.

When they reached her, Ron was bursting with both envy and excitement. 'You were sitting with Viktor Krum! How was he? Did he talk much?'

'Not really, no. He's quite surly actually.'

Ron didn't really seem to care. 'Did you get his autograph?

Hermione sighed in exasperation. 'Honestly, Ron, he's just a Quidditch player.'

Ron rounded on her. '"_Just a Quidditch player"_?'

They were still bickering when they reached the doors. Shadow trodded on Harry's foot when he stopped to let Karkaroff and the Durmstrang students walk through first.

'Thank you,' Karkaroff said carelessly, glancing at him.

Then he froze and turned back to stare at Harry as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar. Behind their Headmaster, the Durmstrang students had stopped as well, many of them looking curiously at Harry as well.

Shadow saw Krum look from Harry to her, then back again. Comprehension dawned his eyes. Even though their faces weren't very similar, the same eyes and hair color was enough to tell they were siblings.

'Yeah, that's Harry Potter and his twin,' a voice growled from behind them.

Karkaroff spun around to see Mad-Eye Moody standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang Headmaster.

All the color drained from Karkaroff's face. 'You!'

'Me,' Moody agreed. 'And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway.'

Karkaroff gave the scarred auror one last look of fear and anger before sweeping off with his students behind him. Moody watched him, magical eye fixed on his back, a look of intense dislike on his mutilated face.

Shadow and Harry exchanged glances. Strange.


	6. Chapter 6: Fourth Year (continued)

'You like them, Draco?' Pansy asked. 'I had a couple of sixth-years make them.'

Draco picked up the large black badge, reading the burning red words in appreciation. '"Support CEDRIC DIGGORY, the REAL Hogwarts Champion!" Yes, very nice.' He smirked, already imagining Potter's reaction if he wore it to double-Potions today.

'They can also do this -' Pansy pressed down onto the center of the badge. Another message appeared: POTTER STINKS

'Yes!' Draco said loudly, his lips curling in satisfaction. 'Perfect!'

'I've already given them out to the Hufflepuffs.' Pansy said proudly. 'They all took one.'

'Of course,' Draco smiled.

Beside Pansy, Daphne shifted the book in her lap, but didn't look up. Seeing her made Draco think temporarily of Shadow and how _she_ would react to the badges. She had already yelled furiously at Snape once during a particularly intense Potions lesson - the first time she'd done all year. It'd gotten her a detention.

He pushed her out of his thoughts. Too bad. She'd just have to pick between being a true Slytherin or a true sister.

A loud hoot of laughter announced Blaise and Theodore's entrance to the common room. 'We've got loads now!' Blaise called, shaking a large box that rattled with the sound of many badges clinking together. 'We could give them out to the whole school if we wanted to!'

'The Ravenclaw lot took quite a few,' Theodore said smugly. 'Potter's got absolute no support.'

Once again, Shadow's emerald eyes surfaced in Draco's thoughts, flashing with disgust. _Where's your humanity?_ She had yelled at Snape a couple of days ago. _Harry's your student! He's done nothing to deserve your petty hatred!_

'Come on then,' Draco swung his bag around his shoulder and picked up the box. 'We've got the whole lunch period to give it all out, then we can see the Gryffindors in Potions!'

They all whooped and followed him out the stone door, laughing at the prospect of seeing their rival house suffer.

They were halfway through the box - Potter was _extremely _unpopular, Draco was pleased to see - when they made a bad decision and turned for the library. Draco crashed right into Shadow when he pushed the wooden doors open.

'Oof- oh no...' The box of badges spilled out of his arms, scattering its contents all in front of the entrance of the library. Immediately, they all began flashing red and green signs of "Support CEDRIC DIGGORY" and "POTTER STINKS".

'Oh, sorry Draco...' Shadow trailed off as she looked down at the badges.

Behind him, the rest of the Slytherins came to a halt as well, though they smartly stayed a couple of paces back.

Draco took a cautionary step away when he saw Shadow's gaze turn icy. The lingering look of surprise and friendliness vanished from the green depths, turning into a blazing look of fury that managed to look both scorching hot and deadly cold.

Shadow knelt down to pick up one of the badges, turning it over in her hands.

'Please tell me,' she said in a voice frosty enough to freeze the icicles off North Pole, 'that you were going to the library to burn all of these badges.' Shadow turned her fragmented gaze onto Draco, pinning him with her wrath.

'Uhm...' Despite Draco's reputation for his smooth tongue, it betrayed him in this crucial moment.

Shadow's rage broke over. '_Incendio!'_

Draco cowered, but the spell wasn't aimed at him. Pure heat blasted past his face and incinerated all of the badges. Pansy shrieked and jumped back, the hem of her robes alight.

Now Shadow was advancing on Draco. 'Has it ever occurred to you,' she hissed, 'that Harry _didn't put his name in the Goblet_? Has it _ever _occurred to you that he _may not be the attention-seeking brat you are?' _Her voice rose to a screech, and before Draco could even brace himself, she punched him in the face.

Pain erupted from his nose and Draco staggered. For a moment all he could see was white. She was impossibly strong for a girl - it felt like he'd ben bludgeoned by a club. He straightened up, warm blood trickling down his face, to see Shadow's second fist just in time. He ducked, but wasn't prepared for her knee to jerk upwards, smashing into a very sensitive spot.

Draco shouted and doubled over in agony. Dimly, he was aware of his friends all scattering, either running away from the terrifying sight of Shadow ringed with the smoldering remains of the badges or running for help. Then Shadow bowled him over and they tumbled to the floor.

'Your jealousy _disgusts _me,' she spat, pulling a hand back to slap him across the face. Draco caught it, desperately wrestling with her to stop her from killing him. 'You think you're so high and mighty just because you're a _pureblood_, but you are actually the most shallow, obnoxious, conceited, bullying _git_ I have ever met!' Shadow twisted both his arms around and Draco yelled as the painful wrench forced his arms behind his back. She pressed all her weight down onto his back, mashing his face into the ground. Draco's eyes watered in pain.

'_Potter!_'

Never in Draco's life had he been more glad to hear Snape's voice.

'What is the meaning of this? Crabbe, Goyle, pull her off Malfoy.'

The crushing agony was suddenly lifted, and Draco rolled onto his back, gasping for breath. Crabbe and Goyle had both of Shadow's arms in a vise-grip. Her hair had come out of its pony tail, cascading down her back in a wild, black tangle are she glared at Draco with overly bright eyes.

'Ms Potter, this is getting out of hand.' Snape, in turn, glared at Shadow. 'You'll have detention with me every Friday from now on until you understand how to behave. I cannot have a student from my house disgrace Hogwarts in front of the other schools.'

Shadow turned her frigid stare to Snape, and Draco could tell that even _he_ was unnerved by its malice. 'You know,' she said, her voice utterly calm. 'I think I'm beginning to understand why everyone hates the Slytherins. It was supposed to be a proud house of determination, resourcefulness, ambition, and cunning. Now it's just about greed, selfishness, cruelty, and arrogance.'

Snape didn't seem to know what to say to that. To Draco's confusion, he looked momentarily stricken as he looked at Shadow's angry eyes. Then, with obvious effort, Snape turned to Crabbe and said, 'Take Malfoy up to the Hospital Wing, both of you. Potter, come with me.'

Crabbe and Goyle released Shadow and came over to help Draco. He waved them away, getting painfully to his feet by himself. There weren't any severe injuries - though his nose wouldn't stop bleeding - but he'd be sporting livid bruises for the next couple of days.

Without another glance at him, Shadow stormed after Snape.

S

'Draco. Draco!'

Draco started, tearing his gaze away from where the Durmstrang students were sitting. 'Huh?'

Pansy gave him an extremely put-out look. 'I asked why you weren't going to Hogsmeade. Blaise just told me.'

'Oh, I don't feel like it.' Draco looked back at the other end of the table, where Daphne and Shadow were laughing at something Krum had said. He didn't pretend that he didn't notice how the two of them were completely surrounded by Durmstrang boys, all of them alternating admiring glances at both of them. Draco felt strangely irritable seeing that.

Pansy pouted. 'Why? Blaise and Theo are going!'

Draco bit into his waffle to buy himself more time to reply. It was kind of his friends to treat him with the same difference they'd always treated him with, even after seeing him being beat up by a girl, but Draco felt sulky and humiliated. This barrier of pride was one he'd have to overcome himself if he was to ever look anyone in the eye again.

Blaise and Theo had understood, of course. They'd offered words of condolences and assurance that they'd be there when he needed them, then they'd backed off and given him space. Pansy and Tracey, on the other hand, seemed to think he needed special female attention in order to feel better.

'I haven't finished the Transfiguration essay yet,' Draco said vaguely. Truth be told, he'd finished _all_ his homework already, since it was easiest to avoid everyone when he was buried in work. But at least he knew that Pansy had finished her own essay yesterday so she wouldn't offer to stay behind and do it with him.

Pansy wrinkled her nose. 'You could copy mine,' she suggested hopefully.

'Nah, it's okay.' The day Draco copied Pansy's homework would be the day humanity was doomed. 'Have fun at Hogsmeade, remember to bring me back a new quill!' He addressed the last bit at Blaise, who merely nodded and waved, since his mouth was stuffed with bacon and egg.

Draco pushed his plate away and left the Great Hall before Pansy could think of another excuse to come with him. Perhaps he could practice Quidditch while everyone else was at Hogsmeade. Merlin knew how much he missed being in the air.

He was halfway across the grounds with his Nimbus 2001 in hand when he saw them.

Shadow was heading for the Quidditch Pitch as well, coming from the direction of the lake. Beside her, Krum was slouching along, and to Draco's surprise, both of them were holding brooms.

Draco stopped in his steps. He had no desire to fly in front of Krum, and he certainly didn't want to see Shadow. They would reach the pitch first anyways.

Unfortunately, Shadow chanced a glance in his direction and spotted him.

Her steps faltered, then she leaned slightly to speak to Krum. The two of them slowed to a halt, turning in a stance that clearly told Draco they were waiting for him. He growled inwardly with frustration. Of all his rotten luck.

He ambled his way slowly towards them, taking his time. He and Shadow hadn't talked since that day in front of the library and he didn't know what reaction to expect from her now. She'd clearly gone out of her way to ignore him for the past few weeks, choosing to sit with Durmstrang instead of the Slytherins at lunch and forfeiting the common room altogether to work in the library after classes. It hadn't taken long for Daphne to side with her as well - now they did everything together. No one dared mention Potter's name in front of Shadow anymore, and even Snape had gotten milder in his insults to Harry.

'Hullo. Not going to Hogsmeade?' Draco asked when he finally stood in front of them.

'No,' Krum replied after it became apparent Shadow wasn't going to. 'Ve vent last time.'

An awkward pause ensued. Shadow was looking at Draco with an unreadable expression, her eyes devoid of emotion. When she finally spoke, it was in cool tone, 'We were going to practice Quidditch. Do you want to join?'

Draco hid his confusion behind a blank mask. After weeks of silence, now she wanted to practice Quidditch with him?

'I thought you didn't play Quidditch.'

Shadow tilted her chin so that she looked at him from an angle. 'Viktor's been teaching me for the past few weeks.'

'Oh.'

'It vould be more interesting if ve played vith three people,' Krum said brusquely.

Draco glanced down at their brooms. 'You have a Firebolt?' he asked Shadow incredulously. Krum also owned one, though that was to be expected, but Draco didn't feel up to playing against two Firebolts right after lunch.

'Harry lent it to me.'

'Oh, of course it's _precious Potter's _broom -' the words shot out of Draco's mouth before he thought twice, but the expression on Shadow's face woke him up fast. 'Uh, let's play then, shall we?' he said hastily, then walked quickly ahead of them to the pitch.

Not so long ago, he would have been over the moon if he knew he would be able to play Quidditch with Viktor Krum himself - and that he'd even be able to receive some pointers from the legendary player. But right now, he was much more preoccupied with something else. Shadow seemed to have reached a temporary truce with him, but Draco had a feeling that this afternoon was a test as to whether or not she'd be willing to forgive him. And Draco, no matter what he claimed otherwise, craved her forgiveness.

Shadow played exceptionally well for someone who'd learned only a few weeks ago, but then, Draco thought bitterly, natural Quidditch talent seemed to run in the Potter family. She was more interested in Chasing than Seeking though, which made him quite relieved. At this rate, he'd be kicked out of the Slytherin Quidditch team next year if Shadow tried out for Seeker.

The practice was pretty normal, despite the fact that one of them was an international player. Krum mostly just instructed and watched from the sidelines, though he got up often to fly a loop or demonstrate a move. He seemed to take his teaching role quite seriously, and more than once, Draco wondered why he was doing this for Shadow.

By the time the sun had started to set, Draco had mastered the Wronski Feint.

'The Slytherin Quidditch team will definitely win next year,' he crowed as they walked back towards the castle.

'Just because you managed to do the Wronski Feint once successfully?' Shadow arched an eyebrow, but for the first time that day, there was some warmth in her voice.

Draco knew he was on his way to being forgiven. 'Of course,' he said, much more cheerfully than the situation warranted. 'Though if you joined, it'd probably be an even surer win,' he added in an afterthought, remembering she had said he was conceited.

Shadow snorted. 'Well, have fun. I'm meeting Daphne in ten minutes.' She excused herself, dark hair swaying from side to side as she jogged back to the castle, leaving Draco to walk in uneasy silence with Krum. The older boy seemed to be chewing over some words, his dark eyebrows bunched together as he scowled at the ground. Draco cast his mind around for an engaging topic to bring up, but he honestly had nothing to relate to this worldwide star.

'She vos very angry at you,' he finally said.

Now it was Draco's turn to scowl. He didn't want to talk about _that_. 'Yeah. Well. I think I underestimated a sibling's loyalty,' Draco said shortly.

Krum seemed amused. Or his grumpy look lessened anyways. 'I haff talked to her many times over the past few days, and usually I do not give such insignificant advice, but...' He gave Draco a sideways look. Though he was four years older than Draco, he was only a couple of inches taller. 'She vants to be friends vith you,' he continued. 'But the final barrier is one you vill haff to remove yourself.'

'Harry Potter,' Draco stated flatly.

Krum nodded. 'Give up your rivalry with Harry Potter. Otherwise, you vill never become true friends with Shadow.'

'Why are you telling me this?'

Krum hesitated. 'Because,' he said gruffly, 'Shadow helped me.'

And that was where he left it at.

Draco made his way slowly back to the castle. _Because Shadow helped me._ What was that supposed to mean? How had she helped him?

He was so lost in thought that he would have blundered into the scene and completely blown it if he hadn't heard them just in time.

'_Dragons?_' A harsh, carrying whisper came from around the corner. Draco halted just shy of turning and darted into the nearest broom closet. Not a second too late - footsteps sounded and two students walked by. Draco peeked through the keyhole. It was Harry and Shadow.

'Yeah,' Potter was saying. 'The first task is dragons. They've got four for each one of us, and we have to get past it.'

The footsteps stopped.

'Oh, Harry...' Shadow's voice was filled with worry. 'How are you going to get past them?'

'I dunno.' It sounded as if Potter was trying to sound nonchalant, but he was failing miserably. 'Do you know any good spells that work on dragons?'

They started moving again. 'I don't know... I know stunning spells work marginally on them, but one stunning spell at a time won't do anything...' Shadow's voice faded as they moved farther away.

Draco let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and slumped against the cabinet door. Suddenly he didn't envy Potter of his Championship position anymore. Dragons? How in the world was a _fourth_ year supposed to face that?

_Has it ever occurred to you that Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet? Has it ever occurred to you that he may not be the attention-seeking brat you are? _Draco remembered Shadow's words vividly, and for the first time, he began to contemplate their truthfulness. Perhaps Potter actually didn't put his name in the Goblet, after all, what fourth year could cross Dumbledore's Age Line and hoodwink such a powerful magical object?

_Stop making excuses for him,_ an angry voice said. _He's Harry Potter, the attention-seeking, annoying git. It doesn't matter how he did it._

Draco clenched his jaws. There were too many voices in his head.

_ Give up your rivalry with Harry Potter,_ Krum had said.

Shadow's voice now: _He's done nothing to deserve your petty hatred!_

Draco sank low to his knees, clamping his head with his hands. When the whirl of thoughts finally calmed, he was left with one voice. And he knew what he had to do.

S

Two days passed before he found the right time to act. It had taken careful timing and subtle maneuvering to get his plan into action. It had also taken two sleepless nights for him to think up of a solution for Potter.

On the third day at lunch time, Draco made an excuse to double back to the Great Hall, shook off Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, and set off down the path leading towards greenhouse three, where he knew the Gryffindors were to have Herbology next. When he reached there, however, Potter was no where to be seen. He could see Granger, though, looking anxiously over her shoulder every five minutes as if she was also waiting for him. Draco cursed Potter under his breath. He'd be late to History of Magic because of him.

Ten minutes after class started, Potter came running down, his bag thumping loudly against his back. Draco detached himself from the shadows just as he ran past, purposefully bumping into him.

'Watch where you're going, Potter,' he drawled.

Harry gave him the look of loathing mixed with impatience and irritation, but he didn't stop to retort. He pushed past him and vanished into the greenhouse.

Draco suppressed a smile and raced for class. It wouldn't be long before Potter would find the note he'd slipped into his bag.

S

_Dragons are tough creatures and hard to beat with simple spells. However, always play to your strength. Loathe as I am to admit it, you have a talent in Quidditch - use it. Summon your broom to you during the tournament and do what you do best. Fly._

Shadow looked up from the note. 'There's no signature. Do you know who gave it to Harry?'

Hermione shook her head. 'No, but whoever wrote it is right - flying is his best bet. The problem is that Harry hasn't mastered the Summoning Charm yet and tomorrow is the tournament! Can you come up to the empty classroom on the third floor and help us practice tonight? We've already been practicing all lunch and -'

'Of course I can. And Hermione, thank you for being such a good friend to my brother. I know he wouldn't have made it through these days without you.'

Hermione shook her head impatiently. 'Well, that's what friends are for, aren't they? They help each other. Honestly, it's completely ridiculous - Ron should be here to support Harry as well, but they've both got their stupid pride in the way.'

Shadow gave a loud snort, which attracted Professor Vector's attention. She came over to their table, frowning in disapproval. 'Now, less chattering, girls, and more work. Your number chart should be completed in ten minutes.'

On the other side of the Arithmancy classroom, Draco looked up from where he was working with Blaise. Shadow turned away.

'Still angry at him?' Hermione whispered in amusement when Professor Vector had walked away. 'I heard about how you punched him the other day.'

Shadow made a face. It wasn't that surprising that the story had spread so far, considering that Tracey's bigmouth was in play, but she didn't want to think about what had happened. She had never lost control like that before.

'Harry was so satisfied when he heard,' Hermione told her. 'It was the first time he'd smiled for days.'

Shadow smiled wanly. 'What's up with guys and their competitive rivalry?'

'I think we girls were just born with more sense,' Hermione said seriously. Then she gave Shadow a slanted glance. 'Or maybe they just think you're a worthy prize.'

Shadow hastily turned her scoff into a hacking cough when Professor Vector looked their way again.

When Arithmancy was over, Shadow remembered her promise to Krum. 'Oh, Hermione, do you know where the copies of _Macicis Planetae et Stellarum _are stored in the library? I would ask Madam Pince, but I think she'd kill me if she saw me step foot in the library again after I almost burned down the library doors.'

Hermione gave her an amused look. 'Been doing your reading and researching as a cat, have you? Of course I can help you. Here, I'll show you, the library isn't far anyways.'

That was exactly what Shadow had been hoping for. She and Hermione set off for the library, Shadow trailing behind slightly so that when they rounded the final corner, Hermione would be the one who crashed into Krum.

'Oof, sorry - oh, it's you.'

Shadow reached them, trying not to seem to pleased with herself. Krum was his usual surly self, but he seemed to be trying not to slouch for once.

'Hello Viktor,' Shadow smirked at his discomfort. 'Where were you heading to?'

'Library.'

'Cool, we're heading that way too!' Shadow took Hermione by the arm and pulled her forward. 'This is my friend Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is VIktor Krum.'

Hermione gave Krum a wary look. 'So I've heard.'

Krum's eyes flickered to Shadow very briefly, as if asking for guidance, then returned to Hermione. 'You are the girl that is always vith Harry Potter.'

Shadow suppressed a sigh. Way to go, Krum, that's definitely how you start a conversation with a girl. Talk about how they always hang out with other guys. Yep.

Hermione seemed to give herself a mental shake. She extended a hand. 'It's nice to meet you, Viktor. I've heard a lot about you from my friend Ron Weasley. I also watched you at the Quidditch Cup.'

The faint blush on Hermione's face told Shadow she thought she'd said too much, but Krum didn't seem to notice. He shook Hermione's hand. 'Vot did you say your name vos again?'

'Hermione Granger.'

Krum hesitated. 'Hermy-own?'

Hermione bit her lip, as if to stop herself from smiling. 'Sure.'

There was an awkward pause, where Krum didn't seem to know what to do next.

_Praise her, you idiot, _Shadow thought. _Honestly, haven't you ever been with girls before? _Aloud, she said, 'Let's go to the library.'

As it turned out, _Macicis Planetae et Stellarum_ was on the shelf behind the table Krum usually claimed at the back of the library. Shadow mulled over the choice of which copy to borrow much longer than necessary, flipping randomly through the pages as Hermione and Krum struck up a hesitant conversation, mostly initiated by Hermione, who seemed to think it was a polite thing to do. Finally, when Shadow couldn't dawdle any longer without arousing suspicion, she and Hermione left Krum to his own devices.

'He's not as bad as I thought,' Hermione said thoughtfully as they made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.

'You thought he'd be an arrogant toe-rag for all the attention he receives,' Shadow guessed shrewdly. 'Or maybe a completely antisocial creature who avoided people as much as possible _because_ of all the attention he receives.'

Hermione grimaced. 'Something like that.'

They split up at their respective tables, ate a hasty dinner, then met up again on the third floor, this time with Harry in tow. His face was pale, and he looked like his dinner hadn't sat well with him as he entered the empty classroom.

'Don't worry, Harry,' Shadow said anxiously. 'We'll get you out alive tomorrow. We can do this.'

He only nodded, and then set to work. They kept practicing until past midnight, and then - after Shadow snuck quickly to the kitchens to get some strong tea - straight on for two more hours. At two o'clock in the morning, Harry stood near the back of the room, surrounded by heaps of objects. Only in the last hour had Harry really gotten the hang of the Summoning Charm.

'That's better, Harry, that's loads better,' Hermione said, clutching her cup of tea tightly, but looking pleased.

'Well, now we know what to do next time Harry can't manage a spell,' Shadow said, catching the Rune Dictionary Harry threw at her and flopping to the ground, 'threaten him with a dragon.'

Harry gave a tired laugh. 'I know right? _Accio Dictionary!'_

The heavy book soared out of Shadow's hand, across the room, and into Harry's arms.

'Harry, I really think you've got it!' Hermione said delightedly.

'Just as long as it works tomorrow,' Harry said. 'The Firebolt's going to be much further away than the stuff in here, it's going to be in the castle, and I'm going to be out on the grounds...'

'That doesn't matter,' Shadow said firmly. 'Just as long as you concentrate, it'll come.'

Hermione struggled to her feet. 'We'd better get some sleep... Harry, you're going to need it.'

When Shadow slipped back into the Slytherin common room, she found it empty except for one chair. A blond head peeked out from behind the backrest, tilted at an uncomfortable angle. Shadow, who had sneaked back in cat form, padded up to the armchair.

Draco's face was relaxed, his mouth slightly opened as he slept. Shadow regarded him for a few moments, remembering another time she'd watched him without him knowing. The emerald fireplace simmering with flames was as tranquil a surrounding as the open stars had been up on the Astronomy Tower.

Even as Shadow watched, Draco's breathing quickened, and his eyes suddenly flew open. For a moment, he seemed confused, looking around at the green room in bemusement, then his gaze fell on Shadow, who tried not to twitch her tail.

'Oh, it's you.' Draco slumped back into the chair, yawning. 'I thought you might've been Shadow.'

If cats had an eyebrow, Shadow's would have shot up.

'She never came back from dinner,' Draco murmured, almost to himself. 'I thought she might've been with Potter, practicing...' he trailed off, then shook his head. 'Anyways, where have you been? I know Daphne looked for you at the beginning of the year.'

Shadow meowed, but her mind had already left the conversation. So Draco had been waiting for her. Why? '_I thought she might've been with Potter, practicing..._' DId he know something or overhear something?

Draco looked at his watch. 'It's almost three in the morning,' he sighed. 'I guess I'll just go back to sleep.'

Shadow watched him disappear up the boys dormitory, but her own exhaustion had suddenly vanished. What had the note said? _Loath as I am to admit, you have a talent in Quidditch._

She turned back to stare at the staircase down which Draco had disappeared. Had _Draco _been the one who had given Harry that note?

S

Throughout the entire First Task, Shadow alternated between watching Draco and watching Harry. The former did not jeer or hiss when the latter came onto the modified stadium, looking pale as a sheet. Shadow didn't see expression though, because by then she'd been far too preoccupied with her brother's safety.

'Oh no, he's got the Horntail!' Hermione groaned from where she was standing beside Shadow, her nails biting into her face as she watched Harry step into the enclosed area.

On Shadow's other side, Daphne twitched, chewing on her lower lip. The obsidian dragon crouched, snarling in the middle of the ring, its yellow, slitted eyes wild and angry. Vicious long claws and fangs flashed through the air as it stood protectively over its nest of eggs, swinging its head sharply from side to side to take in the huge crowd and towering fences. Its nostrils flared, and it bellowed out a bone-rattling roar.

'C'mon, Harry,' Shadow muttered, watching her brother raise his wand, a look of absolute concentration on his face.

'_Accio Firebolt!_' he shouted just as the cheering and sneering of the crowd died down.

A few moments later, everyone heard the sharp whistling sound of something hurtling through the air at an impossible speed. Harry turned around just as his broom soared into the enclosure to stop in mid-air before him. The crowd was screaming again, but this time they were all shouts of anticipation.

_'So clever!_' Bagman yelled into his microphone as the crowd thundered in approval. 'Potter used a very good Summoning Charm to summon his broom! And, oh my, is that a Firebolt?'

Shadow glanced briefly at Draco. His gray eyes were fixed on Harry as he mounted his broom and kicked off into the air. A self-satisfied smirk played faintly across Draco's face, and he was nodding ever so slightly. Shadow looked away. _That doesn't mean anything_, she told herself.

Harry, who was now merely a speck in the sky, turned and dove for the ground, shooting down like a comet. The Horntail's head followed him, but he jerked out of the dive and swerved away before it opened its maw and released a jet of fire.

Hermione had now switched her grip to Shadow's arm, leaving crescent-moon indents in her skin as she turned a shade whiter at how close the flames had been to Harry.

'Great Scott, he can fly!' shouted Bagman over the shrieks and gasps of the crowd. 'Are you watching this, Mr Krum?'

Harry circled the dragon, once, twice, then plummeted as it roared, but this time he wasn't so lucky. The wickedly-barbed black tail whipped out to intercept him as he dodged the flames. Hermione's nails drew blood.

Harry swerved left just in time, but one of the long spikes ripped into his shoulders. Screams and groans echoed through the crowd, and Shadow twisted her robes anxiously. Harry didn't seem affected though, he just kept flying, up and down, this way and that, higher and higher...

'He's trying to goad her off the ground!' Daphne said as Harry dangled tantalizingly above the dragon, just out of fire range. She leaned forward over the rail. 'Come on!'

The dragon let out a shriek of frustration, and at last spread its leathery wings. It reared towards the sky, and before anyone knew what was happening, Harry dived.

'Did he get it? Did he get it?' Hermione squealed, dancing on her toes.

'Yes! Yes he did!' Shadow yelled as her brother held up the golden egg high in the air and soared over the stands. The stadium was vibrating from the force of the noise of the crowd, and the dragon-keepers rushed forward to subdue the enraged dragon. Harry flew over to the entrance of the enclosure, where Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, and Hagrid were all waiting for him.

'Come on, let's go see him!' Hermione was already squeezing her way past a pair of overjoyed Gryffindors. Shadow made to follow her, but someone stepped in front of her.

The woman had curled blond hair, a square face, and sharp eyes. She was wearing an acid green dress and clutching a crocodile-skin handbag.

'Dawn Potter!' she trilled. 'You won't believe how hard I've been looking for you all over school, you're one tricky student to find!'

Shadow looked at her blankly. 'Uhm, who are you?'

The woman arched on heavily penciled eyebrow. 'I'm Rita Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prophet. You see, Dawn, dear, the entire wizarding world thought you were dead - until you showed up at Hogwarts... four years ago, was it? Would you mind giving my asking of a couple of questions? I'm sure it would greatly satisfy the curiosity of so many people...'

Shadow's expression closed off. Rita Skeeter, the woman who had made Harry's life hell by releasing an entirely false article about him. She should have known she would be a target as well.

Rita had already taken out a notepad and a quill that matched her dress. 'Excellent!' she said without allowing Shadow a chance to refuse. 'Now, where were you for all these years? There were rumors that He Who Must Not Be Named took you before he came to kill your parents, are they true? How did you survive on your own for so -'

'I'm sorry,' Shadow said coldly. 'I have to get to Harry.' She pushed roughly past the woman, almost knocking her over. Unfortunately, Draco took this chance to approach.

'Congrats to your brother, I suppose,' he drawled. Behind him, Rita Skeeter looked with great interest between the two of them. 'Did you think of the idea for the Summoning Charm?'

Shadow narrowed her eyes. 'What are you trying to say? Harry thought of that all by himself.' She tried to ignore the fact that Rita's pen was suddenly scribbling furiously onto the notepad.

Draco gave an elegant shrug, then caught sight of the journalist. 'Who are you?'

Rita smiled, but ignored his question. 'Aren't you Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's son?'

Draco straightened ever so slightly, his smirk broadening. 'Yes I am.'

'Slytherin?' Rita glanced over at Shadow.

'Of course,' Draco said, sounding slightly indignant.

'Hm.' Shadow didn't like that calculating gleam in Rita's eyes. Not at all.

'Excuse me,' she growled, then escaped to the First-Aid tent.

Soon, she forgot all about Rita Skeeter, too relieved and happy to find that her brother had passed with minimal injuries. Unfortunately, it seemed that Rita Skeeter hadn't forgotten her, because a few weeks later, an article was published.

S

DAWN POTTER: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

_When Dawn Potter, twin sister of the famous Harry Potter, suddenly appeared at Hogwarts four years ago, everybody asked: How is she alive? Where was she the past eleven years? Now, it seems like we can all finally know the truth, _writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. _Disappearing at the age of one, Dawn Potter was presumed dead at the hands of the Death Eaters, if not You-Know-Who himself. Now, however, evidence has surfaced that she was taken in by those Death Eaters and kept to be used as leverage against the Potter family. When He Who Must Not Be Named vanished that night at Godric's Hollow, though, the Death Eaters disbanded and Dawn Potter was left for an orphanage._

_One might feel sympathy for a girl with such a tragic backstory, but don't be fooled by that angelic face. It seems that during her stay with the Death Eaters, however brief, she picked up some of their malicious behavior. _"When she was sorted into Slytherin, everyone was shocked,"_ said Dean Thomas, a boy in Dawn's year. _"I mean, her entire family was Gryffindor, you know? Even Harry was surprised." _The Slytherin house is notorious for producing dark wizards. Coincidence? Unlikely. _"She's so haughty and aloof all the time," _Tracey Davis, also a student in Dawn's year, said. _"She thinks she's so much better than all of us, but really she's actually not."

_Dawn Potter has also been frequently sighted with Daphne Greengrass, descendent of one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain, and Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy. What does her company tell us about her - especially the presence of Malfoy? _"I don't understand why Draco hangs around her!" _Pansy Parkinson, a fellow Slytherin, said. _"Draco and Harry Potter don't get along, so why is he so tolerant of _her_? She has this thing about bewitching boys and then making them do things for her. A few weeks earlier, she punished Draco by hitting him in the face just because he did something she didn't like!"

_Hard to believe, but it seems as if Dawn Potter is not on the good side like her brother is. Friends with so many Slytherins and purebloods, she must be taking after that path of darkness. She is rarely seen with her brother in school, and maybe sibling rivalry is a drive to become the opposite of everything the Boy Who Lived has ever stood for._

Harry threw down the magazine furiously. 'What is wrong with this twisted woman? Why's she after you know? What'd you do to her?'

Shadow rubbed her face wearily. 'I don't know. She tried interviewing me, but I brushed her off. Then she saw Draco talk to me at your First Task.'

Harry picked up the article again. '"... evidence has surfaced that she was taken in by those Death Eaters and kept to be used as leverage against the Potter family." How did she find out? She managed to dig out _some_ truths about your past.'

'I don't know!' Shadow kicked at the ground in frustration. 'I haven't discussed what happened to me before Hogwarts with anyone besides you and Dumbledore, and none of that was even recent. Okay, I went up to Dumbledore's office last week because he wanted to update me on what he'd found on where I'd been when I was young, but unless she could somehow get past that stone gargoyle without the password, I don't see how she found _anything_ on me.'

'Well, at least most people know you well enough to know that this is all garbage.' Harry tried to console her. 'I don't know how Rita Skeeter thought she was going to pull this off. A word from me could completely negate whatever she said.'

Shadow made a disgusted noise at the back of her throat. 'But most people would just say that you're too much of a good sibling, trying to protect my reputation. Besides, this is only the first step. Just wait; she'll turn you into some kind of a villain too. Then it'll be the evil, malicious, attention-seeking Potter twins against the world.'

The bell rang, punctuating her words. Shadow shoved her books into her bag, clearing the library table where she and Harry had been working for the past half hour. Harry, who had already packed, watched her with a rather helpless expression.

'Whatever,' Shadow interrupted, when he opened his mouth to say something. 'It's much milder than the article she released on you. People will probably just laugh and forget about it.'

But when they set down the hall towards Potions, she could feel more hostile and judgmental eyes on her than before. It didn't help that when Pansy saw her coming from afar, she shouted out, 'Potter, have you read the Witch Weekly today?

Shadow gave her a withering glance, then took her customary seat beside Daphne. Pansy continued talking, taking the seat behind her. 'You should be thanking me - it makes your poor brother look more like a victim than his true attention-seeking self.' She threw a glance over at where Draco and Blaise were sitting a couple of rows back, looking proud at her insult. Neither of them acknowledged her.

The Gryffindors filed in, and it seemed to Shadow that all of them were whispering and shooting covert glances at her. _Just your imagination_, she told herself.

'Hey, Potter!' Pansy said gleefully. 'Had any arguments with your sister lately? But then I suppose she wouldn't associate herself with you much anyways - with the company you keep.' She looked pointedly at where Hermione and Ron were perusing the article beneath the desk, eyebrows bunched together.

'_Shut up._'

Shadow and Daphne both looked around in surprise. Draco was glaring at Pansy, irritation and anger turning his eyes to steel. 'Give it a rest, will you? Shadow's done nothing, and neither has Potter.'

Pansy sat there, mouth half open as she stared in askance at the blond boy. She wasn't the only one. Almost all the Slytherins looked at him as if he'd gone crazy, while the Gryffindors looked torn between surprise and suspicion. Draco ignored them all and went back to setting up his potion kit, and Professor Snape swept into the classroom before anyone else could say anything.

'Are you alright?' Daphne asked Shadow quietly once Snape had set the class to making the Wit-Sharpening potion.

'Fine,' Shadow said more curtly than she'd intended. She softened her expression. 'Just... so done.'

Daphne snorted. 'Well, this'll cheer you up. Have you heard about the Yule Ball yet?'

'Ball? What ball?'

'Apparently it's a tradition for the Triwizard Tournament,' Daphne explained under her breath as they peeled the wings off lace-flies. 'A "chance for us to socialize with our foreign guests", to quote Professor McGonagall precisely. It's only open to fourth-years and above, and we're supposed to have dance partners.'

'Partners?' Shadow asked in horror. 'Dance?'

Daphne tried to disguise her smile by rubbing her nose. 'I knew this would cheer you up.'

'When is it?'

'Christmas Day, starting at eight. We're supposed to wear dresses.'

'_Dresses?'_

Daphne grinned openly now. 'Oh, Shadow, this is going to be so much fun.'

S

'Draco, who are you asking to the Yule Ball?'

Draco suppressed the surge of impatience at Pansy's seventh time asking him this in seven days. 'I don't know, I haven't decided yet.'

'Last day of term is just three weeks away!'

'Christmas is still ages away.'

'Oh, give the guy some breathing room, Pansy.' Blaise came over, sprawling lazily on the chair next to Draco's. 'Run along now,' he told Pansy, who propped her hands on her hips. 'Do whatever you girls do when there's a ball coming up.'

Pansy shot him another glare, then flounced away.

'Thanks,' Draco slouched into his chair as well.

'No problem. It looked like you were suffocating.'

'Oh, I was,' Draco agreed. He glanced over at his friend. 'You got a date for the ball yet?'

Blaise heaved a long-suffering sigh. 'No, and we better get a move on it or all the good-looking ones will be gone.'

Tracey came over, looking like she was about to explode. 'Shadow got asked to the ball!'

Draco sat up so quickly that his Potion notes went flying. 'What? By who?

'Adrian Pucey! And right after she rejected him, Lucian Bole asked her!'

'Did she accept?' Draco demanded.

'No,' Tracey rolled her eyes. 'She's so stupid. Who wouldn't want to go with Lucian Bole?'

She walked away, shaking her head. The common room door slid open, and Daphne came in, followed by Crabbe, Goyle, and Kevin Bletchley. Behind them, Shadow walked at a slower pace, deep in conversation with Terrence Higgs, the sixth year who Draco had replaced as Seeker a couple of years ago. Draco felt his irritation rise when heads looked up to follow their progress through the room.

'That article the Skeeter woman wrote about Shadow didn't do much except make her even more popular with the Slytherins,' Blaise commented. 'But that's mainly because she's got so many friends in the other houses that no one took the article seriously.'

When Draco didn't say anything, Blaise looked over. 'You can have her if you want, you know.'

'What?'

'Don't try to deny it, I know you've been thinking of asking her.'

Draco feigned confusion. 'Who?'

Blaise gave him an _are-you-seriously-going-to-try _look.

Draco deflated. 'Fine. Yeah, I've been thinking. But she practically hates me, so thinking about it is about as far as it's going to get.'

Blaise snorted. 'She doesn't hate you. And stop thinking and get moving - she's one of the good-looking ones, and she won't refuse them forever.'

'Who are _you _taking to the ball?' Draco asked swiftly, trying to shift the topic away from himself.

'Daphne,' Blaise replied without hesitation.

Draco arched an eyebrow. 'You asked her already?'

'Not yet. Actually, I'll do that now.' He got to his feet and went over to where Daphne and Shadow were playing Wizarding Chess by the fireplace. Half the eyes of the common room followed him there.

Draco slid off his chair to pick up his scattered Potion notes. When he'd gotten back to his feet, Blaise was already coming back, a large grin on his face.

'Success,' he crowed. Draco looked past him to where Daphne sat, who also had a slight smile on her face. Opposite her, Shadow was smirking at her friend.

Draco looked away. _I'll ask her later_, he thought.

_Coward._

S

The last week of term inched closer and he still hadn't asked her to the ball.

Draco was near panicking now, well, as near to panic as a boy bred since birth to be cool and controlled could be. Every time he approached Shadow, it seemed that she was either surrounded by older guys from various houses or she was with Potter, Granger, or Weasley. There was no way in hell Draco was going to ask her in front of those three. There had also been a rumor that Cedric Diggory had asked Shadow to the ball and that she'd turned him down, but Shadow had vehemently opposed it.

'If Cedric had asked me, I would not have had the courage to say no,' she'd said.

The mounting pressure to ask her was almost unbearable now. With each refusal Shadow made, it became obvious that whoever she _did _say yes to, if she ever did, would become highly respected among his male peers. _She's a challenge, that one_, the guys had been whispering. And guys liked challenges.

'Are you even planning on _going _to the ball?' Tracey complained one evening after dinner. She and Pansy were quite literally stewing in their jealousy nowadays, but they couldn't do anything about it since they had already pulled their largest card - Rita Skeeter's article.

Shadow shrugged. 'Yeah, but I don't really care if I have a partner or not.'

'Then why don't you just accept already?'

Daphne laughed. 'Correction: Shadow doesn't want a partner.'

'What?' Pansy gasped. 'Why?'

Shadow and Daphne exchanged a glance, then said, 'Because the boys right now are either arrogant and obnoxious -'

'- desperate and lonely -'

'- awkward and oblivious'

'- or false and deceptive,' Shadow finished. She and Daphne high-fived.

'Oi,' Blaise complained, 'I don't fit in any of those categories.'

Identical grins rose to Shadow and Daphne's faces. 'You belong in all of them.'

Outside the window, thunder rumbled and rain pelted the windows, but inside the Slytherin common room, warmth from the fire radiated outwards, and the gales of laughter at Blaise's speechlessness washed over them. Draco stretched out in front of the fireplace, feeling comfortable and relaxed. This was home.

Suddenly, Shadow glanced at her watch and leapt to her feet. 'Oh, Merlin, I gotta run!' And she was out the common room in a flash.

Draco propped himself up onto his elbows. 'What was that about?'

Daphne frowned and shrugged. 'I think she said she had to meet someone.'

'Meet who?'

'I dunno, I didn't ask.' The look Daphne gave him was a little too knowing.

'Hm.' Draco laid back down on the carpet, trying to look relaxed. Beside him, Pansy shifted, but the look he shot her stopped her from getting any closer.

He tried to focus on the conversation, which had turned to speculating what the second task was about, but his mind kept wondering what Shadow was doing. Still, aware of Daphne's keen gaze, he stayed where he was and pretended to listen as Theo talked about what previous Triwizard Tournaments had been like. An hour inched by, and still Shadow didn't come back. The common room was already starting to empty as more and more people went to bed. Blaise and Daphne were bent over an Astronomy star chart as they argued whether Neptune's tilt faced east or west. Draco, who had switched from lying on the floor to lying on a sofa, was reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_ for the umpteenth time, trying not to smirk as Pansy and Tracey nagged Theo to show them his Transifguration essay.

'I left my Transfiguration book in the library,' Tracey pleaded. 'Just help me get started.'

That gave Draco the perfect excuse. He swung his legs off the couch. 'I'll go get your book for you,' he volunteered. 'You can use mine for now.' He tossed her his copy of _Intermediate Transfiguration_ and headed for the common room door before she could reply.

Once he was outside, Draco headed for the Astronomy Tower. It was the only place he could think of Shadow going to, though he bristled at the thought of her meeting someone else there. When he reached the top of the tower, however, it was utterly deserted.

'Where else could you be?' Draco muttered, staring down at the dark Quidditch pitch. Lightning flashed, and in that moment, a small figure was silhouetted in the gardens right by the Entrance Hall. Another flash, but this time it wasn't lightning. The sparks of red had came from someone chasing after the person.

Draco stared down at the pitch, straining to catch more glimpses, but the lightning seemed to have switched off temporarily. He hesitated for several more moments, then hurried down the winding staircase. He wasn't even sure why he was going to meddle in an affair that had nothing to do with him, but if on the off chance that it was Shadow...

He raced past Filch, who snarled and tried to grab his robes. 'No running in the halls!' the old caretaker howled. 'And curfew starts in five minutes!'

Draco ignored him and yanked open the double-oak doors of the Entrance Hall. Thunder rumbled and rain blasted into his face. Filch's shouting grew incoherent as he hobbled over, shaking a fist at him.

'There's a student out there!' Draco yelled over a clap of thunder.

'Shut the doors!' Filch's eyes were popping at the sight of the growing puddle by the open doorway.

But then Draco saw it, through the torrent of rain, a flash of green. Without another thought he ditched his shelter and ran outside. The rain was falling so hard that he could barely see his five feet in front of him, but the muted flares of green, and occasional responding red sparks, guided him forward. As it was, though, he almost collided with Shadow when he rounded a rose bush.

'Draco!' Her eyes were wild, and her hair was completely drenched. 'Run!'

He glanced behind her just in time to see a dark figure raise their wand towards them. 'Duck!' He snatched her by the shoulders and dragged her down with him just as the spell fired through the air they were just standing in a second before.

'Is he shooting to kill?' Draco yelped.

'Stupefy!' Shadow pointed her wand from beneath Draco's arm. The figure ducked behind a tree.

'Come on, back to the castle!' Draco yanked her to her feet, and they ran towards the main doors, which were still open. Filch stood there, gawping at them as they ran towards him, and it was the sudden jerk of his arm that warned Draco their attacker was aiming again. He ducked. Shadow didn't.

She cried out and slipped, almost causing Draco to trip as well.

'Shadow!' He skidded to a halt and tried to help her up, but she jerked away in pain. A burning smell reached Draco's nose, and he finally noticed the smoke wafting off Shadow's shoulders and back. She's been burned. Badly.

'Avada Kedavra!' A voice bellowed.

Draco threw himself down over Shadow. The spell missed him by inches.

'Incendio,' he heard Shadow hiss from beneath him. The grass in front of them exploded into flames, and he rolled away from the heat in alarm. She had created a wall of flame separating them and the attacker.

Just then, a loud banging sounded behind them. Draco whirled around to see Albus Dumbledore stride out of the Entrance Hall, his wand out. Behind him, Filch was peering out anxiously at the already dying flames. Draco looked back. Their attacker was no where to be seen.

A groan of pain came from where Shadow was crumpled on the ground. He hurried over. The spell had burned a hole through the back of her robes, revealing angry, red, blistering flesh beneath.

'Get Madam Pomfrey,' Draco heard Dumbledore say. Then the headmaster was kneeling beside him in the mud. 'Shadow, can you hear me?'

She lifted her head, rain dripping from her cheeks.

Dumbledore stared into her pained eyes intently. 'Shadow, it is important you answer me. Did you see your attacker? Did you see their face?'

Shadow shook her head. 'He was masked,' she rasped. 'Metal mask.'

A splash made them all look up. Professor Moody was limping his way towards them, magical eye whizzing everywhere. Draco resisted the urge to glare at him. Every time he saw him, he was reminded of that humiliating ferret day.

'Ah, Alastor.' Dumbledore straightened. 'I assume you saw the flashes in the rain too?'

'He escaped,' Moody growled, his eye still revolving around. 'I can't see him anywhere.'

'Still, search the grounds, please. I will send Severus to help you after I've gotten Shadow to the Hospital Wing.'

'Right.' Moody clunked off.

Draco gave Shadow's arm a worried shake. Her breathing was shallow and fast. She tilted her head to look at him and gave him what she thought must've been a reassuring smile. It came out as more of a grimace.

Dumbledore conjured up a stretcher and gently levitated Shadow's hunched form onto it. 'Let's get out of the rain, shall we?' he said to Draco.

He didn't answer, but followed the headmaster silently back into the castle. Madam Pomfrey was already there, waiting. She had brought towels, and the moment she saw Draco, dripping and mud splattered, she wrapped one around him so tightly that it felt like he'd been forced into a straitjacket.

The matron didn't ask questions. She merely hustled them up to the Hospital Wing and then started clinking around in her storeroom, grabbing various potions and salves as Dumbledore moved Shadow to a bed. She was still conscious, her green eyes fixed on Draco's as if they were the only thing she could afford to concentrate on. He heard Dumbledore leave to find Snape, but he didn't look away from Shadow, holding her eyes.

Madam Pomfrey came back, a bottle of dittany and a large jar of ointment in each hand. 'Now, Shadow, this is going to hurt just a little bit near the beginning, but it'll get better, alright?'

Shadow nodded ever so slightly and turned her face into the pillow. Madam Pomfrey reached into the jar and slathered some ointment onto the large wound. Shadow made a muffled sound and her back arched away, but Madam Pomfrey persisted, dabbing until the entire wound was covered. Draco watched as the wound closed slowly. Shadow's back muscles loosened as well as she eventually relaxed.

'There we go, nothing to worry about now!' Madam Pomfrey put down a tray that held two cups of hot chocolate. 'One for each of you, I think. Now would you like to stay here for the night or go back to your common room?'

Draco and Shadow exchanged a glance. 'We'll go back to the common room,' he said. Shadow nodded.

'Alright then, make sure you go straight back.'

They drank their hot chocolate and then slowly headed back to the Slytherin common room, which was on the other side of the school. Neither of them said anything for the first couple of minutes, walking in an uncertain silence as they rounded rusty suits of armor and crossed moving staircases, unused to the still quiet that lay in the usually bustling hallways.

Eventually it was Shadow who spoke first. 'Thanks for helping,' she said in a low murmur as she walked beside Draco.

Draco shrugged. 'Anytime.'

'How'd you know I was in trouble?'

'I didn't. But Daphne said you were meeting someone, and when you didn't come back for a long time...'

Shadow threw him a sharp glance. 'You do know what that sounds like, right?'

'What?' Draco said innocently.

She smacked him in the arm. 'Draco Malfoy, you weren't planning on barging in on my supposed tryst with my secret lover, were you?

Draco fought the smirk that crept onto his face. 'So what if I was?'

Shadow shook her head. 'For your information, Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me, not some random bloke.'

'Oh... what for?'

'None of your business.'

Draco huffed and strode forward a few paces before he realized Shadow had stopped. He turned. She was peering outside a window. The storm had calmed enough that the moon peeped out again, dousing half her face in silver while the other half remained hidden in the shadows.

'Can I ask you a question?' she asked, still looking outside.

'It depends.'

'Why do you hate Harry so much?'

Draco, caught off guard by the question, let out a harsh laugh. 'You can't question emotions. They just sort of form without your permission.'

She looked back at him. 'He's actually a lot better than you think. And you're not half as bad as he thinks you are.'

Draco didn't reply.

Shadow gave him a measured look. 'I actually don't think you hate him.'

He felt his defensiveness begin to rise, thinking this would be another thing on jealousy. People always assumed that he was jealous of Harry Potter. He wasn't. Of course he wasn't. A Malfoy would never be overcome with something as petty as jealousy. 'Oh, my bad,' he found himself saying angrily. 'No one could possibly hate Saint Potter, champion of the mudbloods, vanquisher of the Dark Lord.'

Her eyes flashed. 'I thought we were past this level of immaturity.'

'Yeah?' Draco said furiously. 'Well, someone's got to be the one who tells you the truth, don't they? That your brother is an attention-seeking brat who doesn't bloody care -'

'Is that so?' Shadow turned until she faced him more squarely. Though Draco had grown this year, Shadow wasn't short either - in fact she was quite tall for a girl. She met his gaze easily, green eyes hard and unyielding. 'Then why did you help him during the first task?'

Draco froze at the sudden question. 'Why in the world would I help Potter?'

'You tell me.' Shadow stepped closer into the moonlight, her stare unblinking. 'It's a question I've been wondering myself.'

But Draco was suddenly distracted by how small the distance was between the two of them. The wide, open hall suddenly seemed too hot. His gaze flickered to her lips, which were slightly parted as she waited for his answer. The air became charged with a different tension as their breaths intermingled. They stared at each other, goading each other forward.

_Slytherins aren't cowards, _Draco growled to himself, and with that, he closed the final inch between them. Their lips met gently, almost hesitantly. His arms automatically came up around her waist to pull her closer to him, and her hands had somehow found their way into his hair. Kissing Shadow Potter was incredible, like nothing Draco had ever experienced before. The feel of her mouth moving with his, of her skin against his... just the smell, the taste of her was overpowering.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing rather harder than normal. Her green eyes were wide as she stared up at him, her arms still around his neck. It was the first time he'd ever seen her look vulnerable.

Draco started laughing. He tightened her hold on him until her head rested on his shoulder, chuckling into her hair as she twisted slightly to look at him.

'What?'

'Your expression. I want to remember it forever.'

Draco felt more than saw her smile.

'I should hate you.'

'But you don't.'

Shadow sighed. 'No. You've changed. You're not a slimy git anymore.'

Draco huffed and drew back.

'You still haven't answered my question,' Shadow said. 'Why did you help Harry?'

He hesitated, eyes darting all over her face as if he was trying to search for the answer there. Finally, he sighed and threw her own words back at her. 'I should hate him.'

'But you don't?' She didn't seem certain.

'No.'

'Why not?'

He smirked. 'Because of _you.'_

'Me?'

'Yes, you. You made me realize Potter might not have been stupid enough to dig this hole for himself.' Deciding that he'd spent enough discussing Potter to last him a lifetime, he switched gears. 'Will you come to the Yule Ball with me?'

Shadow blinked. And blinked again. Then she started laughing as well. 'What else am I supposed to say? Yes. Of course I will.'

Draco grinned and slipped his hand into hers. Tonight was a beautiful night.


	7. Chapter 7: Fourth Year (continued)

'Oh my god, you look like a goddess.'

Shadow whirled around, both hands occupied with wrestling her hair into something nice-looking. Daphne was standing in the doorway, wearing a stunning dark blue dress that flowed off one shoulder all the way down to her feet. She had pinned up her blond hair Greek-style, making her look as elegant as Helen of Troy probably had.

'Who, me? Have you looked at yourself lately? Zabini will be speechless.'

Daphne snorted and dragged Shadow over to the mirror by her elbow. 'Compare, my lady.'

Shadow had picked a long, silky dress like Daphne's. It was mostly shimmering silver, etched with beautifully intricate designs of various shades of green, which was matched by the two leaf-shape sleeves that covered her shoulders.

'If I'd known how uncomfortable dresses are, I'd have not gone to the ball,' Shadow grumbled. Her arms were bare, and the neckline was lower than she was used to. The dress also cinched at the waist, restricting her movements.

Daphne laughed and twirled her around. 'Malfoy's expression will be so priceless.'

Shadow ignored her and went back to fixing her hair.

'Stop that,' Daphne admonished. She slapped Shadow's hands away and, to her horror, began pulling out all the pins Shadow had spent the last ten minutes sticking in her hair.

'What are you doing?' She tried to fend off Daphne.

'You're hair is beautiful on its own - just let it down. Here, I'll help you make it better.'

Shadow let a reluctant smile pull at her face. Leave it to Daphne to fix everything up.

After a quarter hour of trying not to fidget, Daphne stepped back to admire her handiwork. 'Goddess,' she said, nodding. Shadow looked in the mirror. Daphne had somehow managed to make her wavy hair look sleek and shiny as it fell past her shoulders. She'd made a half-down braided crown that conveniently stopped Shadow's hair from drifting all over her face. Woven into the braid, which extended all the way round the back of her head, were silver twining that matched the dress.

Shadow mouthed a silent 'oh'.

'Come on,' Daphne threw Shadow her pair of silver flats - she had absolutely refused heels - and opened the dormitory door. 'Pansy and Tracey has been down there for at least fifteen minutes already. We should save the others from their undesired attentions.'

Shadow pulled on her shoes. 'Or maybe we should just give Pansy and Tracey a chance to enjoy it while they can.' The two of them, much to Shadow's secret delight, had had to resort to asking Crabbe and Goyle to the ball, since Theodore had asked a Ravenclaw girl instead.

Daphne rolled her eyes. 'Let's go.'

The common room looked strange - full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black. Draco and Blaise were standing by the foot of the stairs to the girls dormitory, chatting with Marcus Flint and Terrence Higgs, who Shadow assumed were also waiting for their dates. Lurking just a little further away were Pansy and Tracey, each wearing respective pink and purple frilly dresses.

Blaise saw them come down the staircase first. His eyes lit up as they fell on Daphne, and he bumped Draco's shoulder before hustling over. 'Hello ladies,' he said, though he was only looking at Daphne, 'You're looking lovely tonight.'

Behind him, Marcus and Terrence's mouths drifted open. Draco strode over, looking extremely dashing in his high-collared black velvet dress robes, which contrasted sharply against his pale skin. 'Shadow, you look amazing,' he informed her proudly. Pansy stalked past, throwing Shadow a look of deepest jealousy and loathing.

Shadow smirked. 'I'm a very nice trophy to have on your arm, no?'

Draco's grin widened. 'Oh yes. All the other guys can't figure out how I won such a coveted prize.'

She laughed, a bright and happy sound. 'Neither can I, honestly.'

Blaise and Daphne joined them. 'Shall we go down then?'

'Sure.' Draco offered his arm to Shadow, who gave him a look and took it.

The Entrance Hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Almost at once, Shadow spotted Harry and Ron, who were standing to the side with Parvati and Padma Patil. Her mood dampened a bit. She still hadn't told Harry who she was going to the ball with.

'You might as well just get it over with,' Draco said, following her gaze.

Shadow glanced at him in half-surprise, then nodded and pushed her way through the crowd towards her brother. When Harry saw her, his eyes brightened. 'Hey Shadow.'

Parvati, who was looking quite pretty in pink and gold, turned around from where she was talking with Padma. 'Oh, wow... hello Shadow! Your dress is beautiful.'

'Who's your date?' Ron asked, even as he scanned the crowd, evidently looking for Hermione.

'That would be me,' Draco's voice sounded behind her.

Both Parvati and Padma took a step back, though whether it was out of wariness or disgust, Shadow couldn't tell. Ron turned his head around so quickly that it cricked, and Harry stood there, looking between Shadow to Draco with a conflicted expression.

Several moments passed in tense silence. Draco was the first to break it. 'Potter. Weasley.' He nodded at the two boys stiffly.

Shadow watched them with an impassive expression, but her crossed arms hid clenched hands as a storm of emotion crossed her brother's face. Harry worked his jaw as if the words were hard to get out, and he gave Shadow a fleeting look before saying, 'Malfoy.'

Ron didn't say anything. He merely gave Draco a hateful look before continuing his search for Hermione.

Just then, the clock struck eight, and the oak front doors opened. Everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students entered. Krum was at the front of the party with Hermione (Shadow's expression turned smug), along with Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies.

'Champions over here, please!' Professor McGonagall called from the doors. And the ball officially started.

Shadow didn't think it was possible for the house elves to make even better food than they did on the night the other two schools arrived, but they did. She would have probably eaten more than her dress could fit had she not been too engaged in talking with Draco and Daphne. The Great Hall looked beautiful tonight, the walls covered with sparkling silver frost and the starry black ceiling crossed with strands of ivy and mistletoes. Beneath them, the house tables had been replaced with smaller gently-lit round tables that seated about half-a-dozen people each.

Once the food had been cleared, everyone stood up to let Dumbledore vanish the tables and conjure a raised platform for the Weird Sisters. Within seconds, a slow mournful tune filled the Hall.

'Look at Potter,' Draco said in amusement. 'He looks so uncomfortable.'

Indeed, Harry looked like he was trying not to trip as Parvati steered him around the dance floor. He looked particularly miserable in comparison to Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang, who were dancing beside them and looking absolutely enraptured with each other.

The song ended with a final, quavering bagpipe note, and Shadow snorted at Harry's look of immense relief as he dragged Parvati off the dance floor. They were replaced by a lot more couples as the Weird Sisters struck up a much faster and livelier tune.

'Come on,' Draco pulled Shadow to her feet, his silver eyes warm and unmasked for once. 'Let's dance.'

And dance they did. Shadow didn't think she'd laughed so much in a day, much less in an hour, as Draco spun, twirled, and swayed her across the floor. He was quite a skilled dancer, his long legs following the beat of the song with ease.

'Social necessity?' Shadow asked when he guided her through a much more complex dance. The only other pair of dancers that matched their exuberance were Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson.

'Yep,' Draco said as they twisted and spun. 'I had to learn dance since I was four.'

She swirled into his embrace, her back to his chest. 'Wow, you must've been quite popular with the ladies.' She smirked up at him, before spinning away again.

'I know right,' Draco said in false resignation. 'They just can't keep their hands off me.' He reeled her back towards him, and she put her arms around neck, as the dance required. 'Just like you.'

Shadow rolled her eyes, grinning. She patted him affectionately on the shoulder. 'Keep dreaming, Malfoy. Keep dreaming.'

They danced for two more songs before Shadow called for a break.

'Tired already?' Draco gave her a lopsided smile. 'I'm not even halfway through with what I want to do with you.'

She laughed, fanning her flushed face. 'Shut up and go get drinks.'

Draco gave her a mock salute. 'Whatever you say, ma'am.' He strode off to where Professor Flitwick was handling the butterbeer at a long table.

Shadow edged her way around the crowd to where she last saw Harry, declining a dance from a Beauxbatons boy along the way. Before she reached him, however, she crashed into Hermione, who looked like she was almost in tears.

'Hermione!' Shadow exclaimed in alarm. 'What happened?'

Hermione threw a furious look over her shoulder at where Ron and Harry were sitting. 'Why does Ron always have to ruin everything?'

Shadow's expression cleared. 'Ah... is this about you and Krum?'

'Yes!' Hermione wrung her hands together. 'He said I was _"fraternizing with the enemy"_! And _he_ was the one who mooned and swooned over Viktor's arrival!'

'Don't worry, Hermione,' Shadow said reassuringly. 'He's just jealous. It'll blow over, probably by tomorrow morning. That's a splendid dress, by the way.'

'What?' Hermione said distractedly. 'Oh, yeah, I saw it advertising in the Daily Prophet.'

'Hey Viktor,' Shadow greeted the Durmstrang champion as he arrived, clutching two Butterbeers.

'Shadow,' he nodded. 'You look vell. Here is your drink, Herm-own-ninny.' He passed her a cup.

'Thank you,' she smiled back.

A sudden warmth at Shadow's back told her Draco had returned. He gave her a Butterbeer as well, squeezing between her and the table to stand by her side. 'It's nice to see you, Krum,' he said smoothly.

'Hello.' Shadow's eyebrows rose slightly at Krum's satisfied expression as he looked from her to Draco. 'You chose your partner vell.'

Draco smiled. 'That I did.'

Shadow looked at Hermione, who was studying at Draco warily. When she saw her glance, Hermione put on a friendly smile. 'Hello Draco.'

For a moment, it looked like he would not answer her, but after an insistent nudge from Shadow, Draco said, 'Granger,' and nodded vaguely in her direction. Shadow shrugged at Hermione once he'd turned back to Krum. Oh well, it was a start.

They were soon joined by Ginny and Neville, both of whom were also clutching Butterbeers. Draco, who must've felt outnumbered, summoned Blaise and Daphne so quickly it looked like he'd scooped them out from thin air.

'It must be difficult, balancing two rival friend groups all the time,' Ginny said, looking at Draco, Blaise, Daphne, and Krum standing around the table, discussing Quidditch. She, Shadow, Hermione, and Neville were all seated, sipping from their cups.

'Enh,' Shadow fiddled with the edge of the table cloth. 'As long as you guys don't start hexing each other, I'm good.'

Daphne, who had never been an avid fan of Quidditch, soon abandoned the boys' conversation and sat beside Shadow. She eyed the surrounding Gryffindors with uneasiness.

'I think you all know each other,' Shadow said, wanting to break the sudden pause in the conversation. 'But this is Daphne Greengrass. Daphne, that's Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Ginny Weasley.'

Daphne hesitated for a moment, then said, 'Hi.'

'Hello,' Hermione and Neville muttered politely.

Ginny leaned forward. 'Don't you have a sister in third year?'

'Astoria? Yeah.'

'Oh, she's in my Potions class.' Ginny swirled the remaining contents of her Butterbeer.

'Cool.'

'Shadow,' Draco said, walking over. 'This is a good song.' He arched an eyebrow.

'Oh alright.' Shadow got to her, unable to stop the amused smile from spreading across her face. 'You really do like dancing.'

He snorted. 'No, it's just the only time I've seen your face red and sweaty.'

'Hey!' She swatted him on the shoulder even as they whirled onto the dance floor once more.

Not far from them, Harry and Ron watched them with narrowed eyes.

'I'm afraid you're fighting a lost battle, mate,' said Ron.

Harry sighed. 'I know.'

S

'Potter,' Draco slammed the dusty book shut. 'Why - did - you - not - start - this - sooner?' He glared at the dark-haired boy over the towering stacks of books that almost blocked his view of everyone else around the table. Shadow sat beside him, reaching tiredly for yet another book on lakes and water. On her other side, Granger was poring over a thick volume, her nose inches from the tiny words.

'Don't start on Harry,' Ron retorted angrily from where he was sitting beside the hunched boy. 'It's not his fault they gave him a task that's impossible.'

'Nothing is impossible,' Draco shot back, feeling his frustration boil over. 'Look where I'm sitting right now - if you told me I'd be slaving away in the library trying to find a way to save Harry Potter's miserable life a couple of months ago, I'd probably have carted you off to St. Mungo's.'

Ron slammed his book shut as well, but Harry put a restraining hand on the outraged Weasley's shoulder. He shot Draco an irritated look. 'We didn't invite you here, Malfoy. You volunteered.'

'My mistake,' Draco replied scathingly, before he felt a cool hand slide over his forearm. He looked over at where Shadow was still steadfastly reading through her stack of book. She didn't glance up, but her fingers twined with his and a small smile touched her face. Draco sighed guiltily. He had volunteered to help because he hadn't been able to watch Shadow disappear for entire evenings and return to the common room late at night with dark rings beneath her eyes. Of course, that had been before he discovered how tedious and ridiculous the task would be. For the past three days, the five of them spent every minute of their free time in the library desperately paging through books trying to find a way for Potter to survive underwater for an hour. Now the task was only a day away, and they _still_ weren't any closer to finding a solution.

'They would never set a task that's impossible,' Granger muttered, turning a page. 'There has to be something here... in the library...'

Draco smirked with a feeling of malicious satisfaction. It was finally the mudblood's turn to discover how many things _can't_ be found in books.

Two more hours later, when it was just ten minutes away from curfew, even Shadow gave up. 'I don't think it can be done,' she said flatly, closing her book. 'You're just going to have to stick your head in the lake and yell for those merpeople to give back whatever they've taken from you and hope for the best.'

Harry looked up, face haggard, just as two redheads poked their heads around the shelves to see them. Draco's mouth curled into a sneer. Great, more Weasleys.

'Hey Ron,' Fred Weasley strolled towards his younger brother. 'Hey Harry. Tough studying?'

'You have no idea,' Ron said sourly.

'Well anyways, McGonagall's looking for you and Hermione.'

The two of them looked up, alarm written all over their faces. 'Did she say why?' Granger asked anxiously.

Fred shrugged. 'She didn't say, but she looked grim though.'

'Oi, Fred,' the other twin called from where he was browsing the shelves further down the aisle. 'This book talks about what doxy venom and, woah, it's got some nasty effects...'

Fred winked at Ron. 'Gotta run.'

After he'd jogged away, Weasley and Granger turned back to exchange looks of horror with Potter. 'Do you think she knows we've been helping you?' Granger whispered.

'No, it can't be,' Draco pointed out, though he secretly hoped they _were_ in trouble. 'Or else she'd want to talk to me and Shadow as well.'

'You'd better go,' said Potter uncertainly. 'I'll try to bring as many books back to the common room as I can.'

'Alright, see you.' Weasley and Granger departed and Draco, Shadow and Harry delved into their piles of books again.

By eight o'clock however, when Madam Pince came to chivvy the three of them out of the library, they still hadn't found anything. Potter's eyes were bloodshot and ringed with terror and dread as he staggered out, arms laden with the books Draco and Shadow had given onto him. A drop of pity mingled with Draco's dislike for him. He definitely didn't want to be in his shoes right now.

'I'll keep looking,' Shadow told her brother. 'We'll find something.'

'Thanks,' Potter mumbled. 'Goodnight.'

Draco and Shadow watched him trod off. 'I can go back and borrow more books if you want to read more tonight,' Draco said, albeit rather reluctantly.

Shadow gave him a tired smile. 'No, it's okay. Thank you though, Draco.'

That night, though, Draco ended up sleeping in the common room as he kept Shadow company while she scanned through all the books on the mahogany Slytherin shelf.

S

A loud crack caused Draco to jerk awake. He looked around wildly, heart pounding. The fireplace had dimmed to smoldering embers, and sunlight was trickling through the windows. Beside him, Shadow had started awake as well, her forehead red from resting in the middle of the book she had open on the coffee table in front of her.

'Mas- Master- Master Malfoy,' a terrified voice squeaked.

Draco turned. A house-elf was standing behind him, wearing a horrible assortment of mismatched socks, hats, shorts, jumpers. Its eyes were darting all over the room, looking at anything but him. He frowned. The house-elf looked impossibly familiar...

'_Dobby_?' Draco asked incredulously.

Dobby flinched as if he'd been hit. 'Young Mas- Master Malfoy,' he croaked.

'What are you doing here?' Draco gawked, thunderstruck. 'I thought Potter freed you.'

Dobby nodded vigorously, seeming to draw strength from Potter's name. 'Yes, Harry Potter freed Dobby, and... and... Dobby is no longer your servant! Dobby works at Hogwarts now!'

Draco growled and stood up, sending the elf cowering again. 'Don't tell me Dumbledore hired you, with pay and everything,' he sneered.

Dobby sank into a low crouch, quivering from head to toe.

'Perhaps something good came out of Potter's meddling,' Draco said contemptuously. 'The Malfoys should never have such a disgraceful house-elf.'

'Draco,' Shadow stood as well, though she eyed Dobby with more curiosity than hostility. 'Who is this?'

'Our old family house-elf,' Draco scorned. 'Until your brother decided to stick his nose in a free him.'

Shadow's eyes cleared. 'Oh, I remember Harry telling me about him - you.' She knelt so that she was eye-level with the trembling elf. 'Hello Dobby,' she said cautiously. 'I'm Harry Potter's sister.'

Dobby stopped trembling and peered at her through his spindly fingers. 'Harry Potter's sister?'

'Yeah.' Shadow glanced up briefly at Draco, then turned back. 'Why are you here?'

Dobby straightened. 'Dobby has come to help Harry Potter!'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Of course.'

'But Dobby cannot find Harry Potter, ma'am,' Dobby continued earnestly, looking at Shadow with large, worried eyes. 'And Dobby knows that Harry didn't find the right book so Dobby did it for him!'

'What are you going on about?' Shadow gave him a quizzical look.

'Dobby could not find Harry Potter's best friends, but Dobby knows that there were two Slytherins that helped Harry search through books... Draco Ma-Malfoy and Shadow Potter... So Dobby comes here to tell you he can help Harry Potter! Dobby hears things, ma'am, he is a house-elf, he goes all over the castle as he lights and fires and mops the floors, Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody in the staff room, talking about the next task... Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!'

Shadow leaned forward, eyes fixed on Dobby's. 'You've found a way to help Harry?'

'What's a Wheezy?' Draco drawled.

'Harry Potter's Wheezy, sir, the Wheezy who is giving Dobby his jumper!' Dobby plucked at the shrunken maroon sweater he was wearing.

Shadow breathed in sharply. 'That's a Weasley jumper - I've heard Ron moan about them enough to know. Maroon... They must've taken Ron as the thing Harry will miss most!'

Draco's eyebrow shot up. 'Wow, and here I was hoping he'd be in detention. Instead it's even better - he's at the bottom of the lake!'

'Draco!' Shadow admonished, shooting him a half-amused and half-exasperated look. She turned back to Dobby, who had watched the exchange with wide eyes. 'So do you know how to help Harry, Dobby?'

Dobby nodded again, his ears flapping, and pulled out a ball of what looked like slimy, greyish green rat tails. 'Right before he goes into the lake, ma'am, he has to eat this. It is Gillyweed, it will make Harry Potter breathe underwater!'

Shadow stared at the Gillyweed, then looked up at Draco. 'Have you heard of Gillyweed?'

'Nope.'

She looked seriously at Dobby's face. 'Are you sure, Dobby? Because my brother's life will depend on this lump of seaweed...'

'Dobby is quire sure, ma'am!'

Shadow took the Gillyweed. 'Okay, I'll give it to him during breakfast. What time is it?'

'It is six in the morning, ma'am.'

'Six in the morning?' Draco yelped. 'Who wakes at six in the morning?'

'Thank you very much, Dobby,' Shadow told the elf, ignoring Draco. 'You're amazing.'

Dobby's eyes teared. 'Dobby knew Harry Potter's sister would have to be as kind and noble as he is. Goodbye, Harry Potter's sister!' There was another crack, and he was gone.

Draco gagged. '"Kind and noble"?'

Shadow got to her feet. 'Oh, shut up.'

'Well,' Draco stretched. 'I'm going to go up and get at least three more hours of proper sleep. Also, I should probably change my clothes, or else people will think we've been doing... naughty things.' He smirked at Shadow.

She flushed and laughed, pushing him lightly away. 'Go away! Shoo!'

Draco grinned and made his way over to the staircase leading to the boys' dormitory. 'See you at breakfast!' he called over his shoulders. Then, without even removing his shoes, he fell back asleep, this time in his bed.

S

'Draco! Draco!'

Shadow ran towards him, looking frantic. Draco groaned, gave his untouched breakfast a look of longing, then went to meet her.

'I can't find Harry anywhere!' Shadow panted. She was clutching the Gillyweed with one hand and massaging a stitch with another. 'And I've looked all over school!'

'I believe you; I've never seen you winded.' Draco took the Gillyweed from her. 'We can split up and find him. Meet back in ten minutes here if you find him.'

'The task starts in fifteen!' Shadow told him, before running off again.

Blaise passed Draco a piece of buttered toast with a look of amusement, but Draco's look quelled anything he wanted to say. 'Thanks,' Draco said, before stuffing the toast in his mouth and then heading towards the library. Shadow would definitely have looked here already, but Draco didn't see where else Harry would be unless he was still asleep in the Gryffindor Tower. If Draco had been him, he would have sneaked out at night to do more research.

'Potter!' he drawled. 'Come out, come out, wherever you are!'

There was no response, save for an irritated look from Madam Pince. Draco sighed. 'You're just trying to make my job miserable,' he grumbled, then set out to scour every inch of the library. Didn't Potter have an Invisibility Cloak? Maybe he was here, asleep or something...

He found him, or actually tripped over him, in the Restricted Section of the library (which had taken some distraction and luck to slip into). Draco reached forward and pulled the slippery cloak off to reveal Potter, snoring as his face stuck the pages of _Where There's a Wand, There's a Way. _The famous boy's glasses were askew, his mouth opened ever so slightly

Draco took his time to enjoy the feeling of absolute power as he looked down at the other boy, then he shook Harry roughly by the shoulders. 'Potter, wake up.'

Harry shifted and mumbled, 'Get off.'

Draco glared at his sleepy adversary. 'Wake up or I'll hex you!'

Harry bolted upright in alarm, then looked around, blinking in confusion.

'Finally,' Draco snorted. 'You have to hurry, you've got -' he checked his watch, '- ten minutes now until the second task starts.'

'Ten minutes?' Harry croaked. 'Ten - _ten_ _minutes_?'

'Come on,' Draco pulled the other boy to his feet, enjoying his terror. 'You're supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions.'

'It's too late,' Harry said hopelessly as Draco dragged him out of the library. 'I don't suppose Shadow found anything?'

It was too good a chance to miss. 'No, but I did.'

Harry screeched to a halt. 'You did?'

'Yeah, you have to eat this.' Draco took out the Gillyweed. It didn't look anymore appealing than it did this morning. 'It's Gillyweed, it'll make you breathe underwater.'

Harry looked from him to the Gillyweed, suspicion warring with desperation. 'Are you sure, Malfoy? Because if this is a trick -'

'Do you trust me?' Draco interrupted, truly curious as to what the answer would be.

Harry frowned down at the Gillyweed, his jaw working back and forth. 'No,' he finally said. 'I don't trust you.' He scowled at Draco. 'But I do trust Shadow. And if she reckons you're reasonable...'

Draco offered him the Gillyweed. He took it grudgingly. 'Thanks.'

'Hurry up, or you'll be late,' Draco said carelessly. 'Oh, and Potter,' he yelled down the corridor as Harry spun around and raced for the lake. 'I'm still rooting for Diggory!'

S

The rest of the school year passed with a much more easy atmosphere for Shadow after Harry finished his second task. She would never really be able to relax until the Tournament was completely over, but at least the tension she'd felt since the attack of the masked man was no longer there. Dumbledore still hadn't told her his suspicions on the attack, but Shadow was smart enough to put two and two together. Death Eaters, she'd read in a library book, used to wear metal skull-like masks all the time. Why they were coming out now, fourteen years after Voldemort's disappearance, Shadow wasn't sure. But there were definitely a lot more suspicious activity this year - what with the World Cup fiasco, Bertha Jorkin's disappearance, the mysterious death of a muggle Frank Bryce, and of course, Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. 'Death and disappearances had marked Voldemort first ascension to power,' Dumbledore had warned her, but it wasn't until the vanishing of Mr Crouch right under Harry's nose that Shadow began to take him seriously.

'So basically,' Shadow said frowning, 'You and Krum were talking by the Forbidden Forest when Mr Crouch staggered out of the trees and asked to see Dumbledore -'

'- while blabbering as if Percy, his wife, and his son were still here, yeah,' Harry said.

'Right. Then he said that he'd done... something stupid? And that it was... all his fault that Bertha Jorkins and his son was dead... and that Voldemort was getting stronger?'

Harry nodded. 'And he mentioned my name several times.'

'Well, it _was_ his fault that his son is dead,' Hermione said testily.

'What did Krum want anyways?' Ron asked. 'Oh, hold on, maybe _he_ was the one who attacked Crouch and caused him to flee, and then, wait for it, stunned himself!'

'And Mr Crouch evaporated, did he?' Shadow said coldly.

'Oh, yeah...'

Hermione rearranged the cushions they had placed on the floor of the Transfiguration classroom Professor McGonagall had given them permission to use during lunch times. The four of them were helping Harry prepare for his third task by researching all sorts of defensive and offensive hexes. It caused them to sacrifice some of their study time for exams, but all of them told Harry to drop it when he mentioned this. 'At least we'll get full marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts,' Ron had said. Draco sometimes came by from time to time, and though he said he was just keeping Shadow company, Shadow knew the real reason was that he didn't want Harry to learn more hexes than he did. So sometimes he'd sit in the corner under the guise of revising for Transfiguration and just watch them. At other times, depending on his mood, Shadow would be able to coax him over to join them. Usually, those were the times Harry got the spells best; he seemed to love using Draco as a target. Shadow wasn't particularly worried though - Draco could hold his own fine against her brother.

'Either Mr Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking,' Hermione said, rubbing her forehead.

'And Fudge reckons _Madame Maxine_ attacked Crouch and Krum?' Shadow asked.

'Yeah,' Harry waved his wand randomly in the direction of the pillows, causing it to do flop feebly. 'But only because we were near the Beauxbatons carriage.'

Shadow pointed her wand at the wasp that had ambled through the window and tried the Impediment Jinx they were supposed to be practicing. The bug stopped dead in midair, and she summoned a gust of wind to push it back outside the classroom.

'So Snape and Karkaroff were both Death Eaters,' Ron muttered. 'But they were both pardoned by the Ministry. Did Dumbledore say why he trusts Snape so much?'

Harry shook his head. 'Did he say anything to you, Shadow?'

'No. But Snape isn't _completely _evil.' Shadow ignored the looks of incredulity Ron and Harry gave her. 'He took care of me for two summers when I was younger.'

Ron shook his head. 'Shadow, I swear someone's muddled with your brain. First you go to the Yule Ball with Malfoy of all people, now you're trying to convince us Snape's a good person.'

Draco chose this moment to step into the room.

'I heard that, Weasley,' he drawled.

Ron sneered. 'Speak of the devil.'

'You want to go?' Draco drew his wand. 'Last time we dueled, you ended up wobbling around the room like an old man.'

Ron stood furiously, wand out as well. 'Yeah? Well, this time maybe you'll end up crying for your mother.'

'Ron -' Hermione started to object, but Shadow tapped her hand.

'Let them at it,' she said, giving Draco an amused look. 'They've been dying to since we started practicing jinxes.'

'You _do_ remember what happened last duel between him and Harry right?' Hermione hissed under her breath, giving Draco a dark look.

Shadow winced at the memory of splintered wood, burnt paper, and livid teachers. The two of them had ended up to the Hospital Wing. 'Use spells that don't draw blood, please,' Shadow called as Draco and Ron faced each other on the other side of the room. Harry was clutching his wand in one hand and his book in another, as if he couldn't decide whether he should join in or chuck the book at Draco.

Draco raised one hand to acknowledge her, and that was when Ron struck. 'Stupefy!'

Draco flew back into the desks with an almighty crash.

'Hah, take that you slimy-headed git -'

'Cornifors!'

Shadow rolled her eyes at Ron's shout of pain and surprise returned to the book she had opened on her desk. 'Hey Hermione, this spell looks useful.'

Hermione jerked from where she'd been gripping the edge of the table tightly as she watched the two boys duel. 'Huh?'

'Hm, the Four-Point Spell. It's supposed to help you see where North is.'

'Oh, that'd actually be really helpful in the maze.' Hermione said and pulled the book towards her. 'Put it on the list.'

Shadow looked up in time to see Draco's shield successfully repel Ron's Tickling Charm. 'Ooh, nice. Even Harry hasn't gotten the Shield Charm down yet.'

'Impendimenta,' Draco said almost lazily as Ron charged him. The red-head froze in a ridiculous position, hand fisted around his wand, mouth half-open to shout an incantation, and completely scarlet with rage. He also, for some reason, had sprouted antlers.

'He could make a very ugly garden statue,' Draco said with relish, coming over to join Shadow. Hermione gave him a look of disgust and uttered the counter-curse. Ron unfroze and finished his charge, only to find no one there. He whirled around, breathing heavily.

'Here, I know how to take those off,' Hermione said kindly, gesturing to the antlers. Beside her, Harry was already trying the Four-Point Spell, though his knuckles were white as he gripped his wand. Shadow had noticed how often Harry shut everyone out completely when Draco was around. It seemed that his way of dealing with the presence of his school nemesis was by ignoring everything. This way, Shadow supposed, he wouldn't be tempted to curse Draco into oblivion.

'So,' Draco propped his feet onto Ron's chair, earning a glower from the redhead as he got his head fixed by Hermione. 'What are you guys working on today?'

'_We_ were practicing the Reductor Curse,' Harry hedged. '_You_ are going to study for exams. Preferably far away from here.'

Draco shrugged, completely unconcerned. 'I've already studied. Besides, first exam is Potions.' He gave Shadow a sideways glance. 'Are you still going to claim yourself the better potion-maker?'

Shadow smiled. 'Of course.'

'Prepare to lose. To me.' Draco smirked. 'And I might catch up to your Transfiguration and Charms score as well - I'm quite good, you see.'

Harry glared at him. 'Would you shut your arrogant trap? No one's interested.'

'As opposed to everyone being interested in what _you've_ got to say, I suppose,' Draco shot back. 'Take a look at this.' He slapped a newspaper article onto the table with an air of satisfaction.

The headlines blared: HARRY POTTER DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS

'How's your head, Potter?' Draco asked smugly as the four of them leaned in to read. 'Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?'

There was a moment of stunned silence after everyone had finished. Then -

'That old _cow,' _Ron breathed.

'How did she find out about your scar hurting?' said Hermione.

'I'm going to strangle Pansy,' Shadow growled. '"We think he'd do anything for power"?'

'The window was open. Divination was suffocating,' Harry informed Hermione.

'You were at the top of the North Tower!' Hermione said. 'Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!'

'Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!' said Harry. 'You tell me how she did it!'

'I've been trying!' said Hermione. 'But I.. but...'

An odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione's face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair.

'Are you all right?' asked Ron, frowning at her.

'Mudblood's finally lost her marbles.' Draco snickered.

'I've had an idea,' Hermione said, gazing into space. 'I think I know... because no one would be able to see... definitely not allowed... just give me two seconds in the library - just to make sure!' She seized her schoolbag and was almost out the classroom before she whirled around and seized Shadow by the arm. 'I need your help, you're an... well, I mean, yeah. Come on!'

Shadow barely had time to grab her bag as well before Hermione dragged her out of the room and ran towards the library.

'Hermione,' Shadow complained. 'You know that we've left the most volatile combination of boys liable to explode back in the Transfiguration room?'

'I know - but this'll be worth it if it's true!'

They burst into the library, where Hermione immediately headed for the section on 'Animals &amp; Transfiguration'.

'Do you know if there are any laws or punishments restricting Animagi? Hermione asked as she searched the shelves.

'Animagi?' Shadow asked, bewildered. 'Well, being unregistered can earn you a sentence in Azkaban, since it's considered an unfair advantage over your peers and quite dangerous to the Ministry... Why?'

'Are there more specific laws? Maybe on spying and... oh, here it is!' Hermione extracted a very thick book and started flipping feverishly through it, stirring up great puffs of dust.

Shadow caught on. 'You think Rita Skeeter may be an Animagus?'

'It would explain how she could listen to so many private conversations undetected,' said Hermione as she trailed her finger down the page of tiny, cramped words.

'If you use your Animagus powers in unauthorized activities or methods of obtaining information, I think it's a life sentence.'

Hermione looked up, eyes shining. 'Really?'

'Yep. You've got her now.'

She shut the book with a triumphant snap. 'Now all I've got to do is trap her. What do you think her Animagus form is?'

Shadow made a face. 'It could be anything. But if she listen by the window all the way up at the Northern Tower, she's probably an animal that can fly.'

Hermione nodded and returned the book back to the shelf. 'Probably small too.'

Shadow followed her out of the library. 'And don't rule out the annoying factor. Animagus forms reflect a person's true character.'

'So she'd be a small, flying, irritating animal...'

Just then, a thunderous crash sounded from the Transfiguration room, followed by a strangled yell of pain.

The two girls exchanged looks of panic and broke into a run.

Boys.

S

'What've they done to our Quidditch Pitch?' Draco asked indignantly, stopping dead at the sight of the twenty-foot-high hedge that ran all around it.

'I'm sure they'll take it down after the Tournament,' Shadow reassured him. 'C'mon, we should get seats.'

They squeezed their way towards where the other Slytherins were already seated just as Ludo Bagman's voice echoed across the stands.

'Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, on eighty-five points each - Mr Cedric Diggory and Mr Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!'

Shadow cheered. Her brother was standing by the dark entrance of the maze with the other three champions, looking nervous - though not quite as nervous as he had looked for the past two tasks.

'In second place, on eighty points - Mr Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!'

Shadow applauded as well. She caught the Quidditch star's eye as he looked over the stands (probably looking for Hermione) and gave him a thumbs up. He gave her a nod.

'And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!'

'You know, she congratulate me for getting first in my year for Potions,' Draco leaned slightly to murmur in Shadow's ear.

She gave him a look. 'And Viktor congratulated me for getting first in my year for Transfiguration and Charms.'

'I still beat you in Potions.'

Shadow snorted. 'Oh, give it up, Draco. It was only by a couple of marks, and that was probably just because of favoritism.'

'It was only a couple of marks between us for Transfiguration and Charms too!' He smiled playfully.

'So... on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!' said Bagman, interrupting their staring contest. 'Three - two - one -'

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forwards into the maze. Shadow leaned over Daphne as she tried to peer down the dark hole in the maze wall. The passage beyond looked dark and creepy.

'Now, Viktor, your turn!' Bagman blew his whistle.

'Do you think we're just going to wait here until they come back out again?' Shadow heard Blaise ask Daphne.

'I'm sure they'll give us entertainment in some form,' Daphne replied.

'And last but not least - Fleur!' The whistle went off for the third time. Now all the champions were in the maze.

The sky above them were now a deep blue, the first of the stars peeping out. All around them, the crowd were chatting amongst itself as Bagman kept a running commentary on the obstacles in the maze.

'We've put in all sorts of creatures - a lot of them belonging to Hagrid. There's also a silencing charm cast over the maze to block out all sorts of noise from the crowd or my commentary -'

An angry bellow came mutedly from the left side of the maze, interrupting Bagman. Everyone swiveled to look, but the fog they had cast over the hedges wasn't very revealing.

'Oh,' Bagman said happily. 'That'd probably be one of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts.'

'There're still some alive?' Theo muttered. 'I thought we'd killed them all.'

Shadow choked on the Butterbeer she'd been drinking from. 'Care of Magical Creatures is real fun, eh?'

'Oh, you have no idea,' Tracey said darkly. 'I don't know how many robes I've had to repair because of that class.'

'What other creatures might Hagrid put in the maze?' asked Shadow.

'I don't know, he forced us to endure the Skrewts for the entire year,' said Draco.

'You didn't learn anything else?'

'No.'

'Huh.'

Shadow took out the device she'd been working on in her spare time. It looked like a small, flat gray pebble, as uninteresting as the next rock, but she had charmed it to sense magical workings in the air. Shadow tapped it with her wand and the pebble began to vibrate lightly.

'What's that?' Draco asked.

'It's supposed to show what kind of spells are being used in a two-kilometer radius.' Even as she said this, sapphire words appeared onto the surface of the pebble: STUNNING SPELL

'Ooh,' Daphne craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of a red flare beneath the mist in the maze. 'That's really handy. Where'd you get it?'

'Oh, I made it.'

'Did you really?' Theo asked, impressed.

Just then, the rock flashed again. FOUR-POINT SPELL

'That must be Harry,' Shadow said. 'Good to know he's still alive.'

'Though he might be lost,' Blaise muttered.

Several more spells were cast. Shadow tried to piece them together into a picture that would tell her what was happening. 'A patronus?' she wondered. 'Are there dementors in there?'

'The Department of Mysteries also gave us a sample of their "Golden Illusion",' Bagman was saying. 'It turns everything opposite - the world flips upside down. Champion that gets stuck there will probably panic and send up red sparks.'

Suddenly blue burned into the pebble again. IMPERIUS CURSE

Shadow froze, staring at the small rock. Draco, who had been placing bets with Blaise on who would be extracted from the maze first, looked over and stiffened as well. 'That's an Unforgivable Curse,' he said in a low voice.

The words changed. CRUCIATUS CURSE

Before either of them could react, a scream split through the air, loud enough to penetrate the silencing charms around the maze. The crowd gasped in unison, many standing for a better view of the maze. Shadow clutched the pebble tightly and leaned over the rail, not looking at the maze but looking for Professor Dumbledore.

'It seems like Miss Delacour has gotten herself in a spot of trouble,' Bagman said. 'If she doesn't send red sparks up in a couple of moments, I think it is safe to assume she got away with it -'

Red sparks flared from the right side of the maze. The Beauxbatons students all groaned as one. From all four directions, the patrolling professors converged on Fleur, entering the maze from above on brooms. Within a few moments, she was safely out of the maze - unconscious.

'Hey, where're you going? Shadow!'

Shadow pushed her way through the crowd without apologizing as she knocked people over. Dumbledore was standing beside Madame Maxine as she revived her student. He didn't look as if he'd felt anything wrong yet...

The stone burned and Shadow glanced down. The Impendiment Jinx flashed twice. Harry, perhaps?

She fought her way to the bottom of the stands, leaving scowls in her wake. Fleur was sitting up and talking agitatedly with Madame Maxine outside the First-Aid tent, completely disregarding Madam Pomfrey, who was hovering nearby with a look of exasperation, a smoking cup of hot chocolate in her hand.

Shadow had just broken free from the last of the spectators when the pebble grew hot again. IMPERIUS CURSE

She broke into a run, leaping over the fence that separated the spectators from the She could feel the attention of the crowd sharpen as they watched her sprint over to where Dumbledore had straightened to look at her.

Shadow didn't reach him in time. Cobalt words flashed: CRUCIATUS CURSE

Horrible yells filled the air. Dumbledore and the other judges spun around to look at the maze, as did the rest of the spectators.

'Professor Dumbledore!' Shadow caught the headmaster by the elbow and pulled him several meters away from the other adults. 'Look!' She showed him her glowing pebble, which showed CRUCIATUS CURSE for a moment, before shifting to STUNNING SPELL. The yells of pain stopped abruptly.

Dumbledore stared at stone for several seconds, deep in thought, then nodded at Shadow. He understood the significance of what she was showing him - after all, he had given her a couple of tips in the enchantment of the stone. He returned to the other judges just as red sparks shot up from somewhere deep in the maze.

'Krum.' Shadow jumped at spun at the sound of Draco's voice. He stood behind her, watching the patrollers fly to where the red sparks marked the sky. 'That leaves both Hogwarts champions in there now.'

'They should hurry up,' Shadow cast an anxious glance at the darkening sky. 'Something doesn't feel right. None of the champions would use Unforgivable Curses.'

Draco herded her back to the stands. Many people were muttering and pointing at Krum and Fleur. Shadow closed her fist around the pebble, shading it from the view of many curious glances. She hadn't exactly been discreet when she showed it to Dumbledore in front of all the schools.

'Both champions of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are not out of the running!' Bagman announced as Krum sat up. 'That leaves the championship to Hogwarts School - but which champion will get there first? Will it be Harry Potter, the famous Boy Who Lived who has shown surprising mettle for his age?' Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor stands. 'Or will it be Cedric Diggory?' The Hufflepuffs all stood and shouted, stamping their feet in a thunderous roar.

Shadow saw Dumbledore kneel down beside Krum, who was looking very confused. On either side of them, Madame Maxine and Karkaroff were looking very angry, Maxine's large arm resting protectively around Fleur's shoulder as she glared at the Durmstrang Headmaster.

'Something's definitely not right,' she muttered to Draco.

The stone burned into her hand again, and she looked at it. It flashed multiple times, so rapidly that she barely saw the spell before it changed again. The Stunning Spell and the Impediment Jinx was being used repeatedly, perhaps by more than one person. Whatever they were facing in there, it must've been very big.

Then there was a long stretch of inactivity that frightened Shadow more than the flurry of spells had. The stone remained cold and dull for almost a quarter of an hour. The crowd was restless once again, but this time the whisperings were starting to become concerned.

'Hey, look, it's the mudblood.'

Shadow looked up to see what Pansy was talking about. Hermione was shouldering her way through a group of Ravenclaws, followed by Ron. They both looked tense and apprehensive.

'It's taking too long,' Hermione said once they reached her, ignoring the hisses and jeers the other Slytherins gave her. 'Something's wrong.'

'Shadow, I think Dumbledore's trying to catch your eye,' said Daphne.

The moment Shadow looked in his direction, the headmaster waved for her to come down to the First-Aid tent, where the judges had disappeared into for the past five minutes (except for Bagman).

'I'll be right back.' Shadow jumped to her feet and ran down the steps to where the judges were huddled on the side.

'Shadow, perhaps you would be able to clear up some confusion,' Dumbledore said once she'd ducked inside the tent. 'Could you tell us what spells you saw in that admirable pebble of yours? You see, Miss Delacour here has accused Mr Krum on using the Cruciatus Curse on her, a very serious crime.'

Shadow stared at Krum, who was looking beyond surly. '_You_ used it?'

'I did not,' he said forceful. 'As I haff told your headmaster over and over again.'

'Exactly,' Karkaroff glared at the towering figure of Madame Maxine. 'This is just an attempt to make yourselves second in the Tournament!'

''Ow dare you! We all know zat ze Durmstrang Institute are ze ones 'oo teaches Dark Magic to their students!'

'Please,' Dumbledore said commandingly. 'Let Shadow tell you what she saw.'

Shadow glanced at the headmaster nervously, then began explaining the concept of her stone. 'I saw the Imperius Curse flash by on it twice, each time followed by the Cruciatus Curse. So if it _was_ Krum who used the Cruciatus Curse, then it wasn't him in control. Someone else must've been manipulating him, trying to take out two champions in one go. But I can assure you,' she added, giving Karkaroff a hard stare when he opened his mouth to speak, 'That Hogwarts does not teach their students how to use Unforgivable Curses.'

Silence met her words. All of them were either staring at her or the stone in her hands.

'So...' Fleur said after several moments. 'You are saying zat zis stone can sense whatever spells are cast around it?'

'Yeah,' Shadow held it out for the blond girl to see. 'You can try.'

Fleur gave her a suspicious look, then held her wand up. 'Lumos.'

The stone flickered. WAND-LIGHTING CHARM

'Huh,' Krum grunted. He gave Shadow a rare smile.

'Well, this is all very well,' a man spoke up from the side. Shadow started. She hadn't noticed that the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had been in the tent as well. He must've been substituting for Mr Crouch. 'But perhaps we shouldn't take the word of one... student on this matter.' His eyes flickered to Shadow. 'Particularly not... this student... what with the family ties to one of the champions, and, ah...'

Shadow's gaze darkened. 'You think I'm a power-hungry, good-for-nothing, Death-Eater-sympathizer, don't you?'

'Well, now...'

'Hey,' Bagman pushed open the flap and peered into the tent, his voice no longer magnified. 'Is everything alright? You're making everyone nervous hiding in this tent for so long.'

'Quite fine, Ludo,' Dumbledore said calmly. 'Everything will be resolved quite soon.'

'Oh good. I hope they reach the cup soon, I'm running out of things to say to the audience...'

His voice faded out, and a sudden wave of iciness slammed through Shadow's mind. She gasped and staggered backwards, immediately throwing up every mental defensive barrier she possessed. Dimly, she was aware of everyone looking at her in concern, but she couldn't hear anything but the roaring of her own heart. It couldn't be him. He couldn't be coming back. Not now.

Shadow pushed past Dumbledore and ran outside the tent. It was now so dark that the torches had been lit, flickering over the anxious faces of the crowd. She looked at the maze. _Voldemort's not back_, she told herself. _You're just hallucinating. He's not back. He can't do anything anyways - Harry's in the maze. _

A clunk and rasp drew her attention. Professor Moody stepped out of the shadows, his wand held out in front of him.

'Excellent timing, Shadow,' he growled. 'I was just starting to wonder how I was going to separate you from Dumbledore.'

And then, before Shadow could even think about reaching for her own wand, the world turned black.

S

Harsh breathing and laughter surrounded her senses. Shadow twitched experimentally, keeping her eyes firmly shut as she continued to feign unconsciousness. Tight bindings restricted her movement, tying her down so tight that she could barely breathe. She was lying on dusty dirt, but there was no smell of grass, no familiar scent that indicated she was still in Hogwarts. The darkness that pressed in on her told her that the sun had given up at last. Night had fallen. There was not a single whisper of breeze on her cheeks, but she could hear the rustling of cloaks and soft, excited murmurs. There was also a faint tang of something metallic. Something like blood.

'I know you are awake.'

Shadow's muscles froze, though not as much as her innards had at the sound of the high, amused voice. It could not be.

'Look at me.' And suddenly cold fingers closed around her face and wrenched her head off the ground. Shadow's eyes flew open in terror.

Staring back at her was a ghostly-white face, flat and cruel, slitted-nostrils flared with anticipation. Crimson eyes gleamed, eyes that had haunted her in her nightmares ever since she could remember.

Shadow almost screamed, but her mouth was muffled by a gag.. She wrenched her face away from Voldemort and rolled away from him and his chilling laughter, only to find herself blocked in every direction by masked men in hoods. Metal masks.

'So kind of my loyal Death Eater at Hogwarts to drop this second package by,' Voldemort said lazily, stepping into her view and turning his wand over in his fingers. 'I told him that the priority would be focused on getting Harry Potter here, but he has done the extra and given me his twin. He will be rewarded beyond measure when he returns.'

Shadow's heart stopped. _Harry_ was here? She twisted her head around. He was there, tied to a gravestone, bound and gagged as she was, and bleeding by the arm. His eyes were wide with horror as she gazed back at her.

'You see, my friends,' Voldemort murmured, 'This girl was a very useful tool to me over the past years. _Very_ useful.'

He flicked his wand at her, and Shadow felt an invisible force drag her over to Voldemort's feet. He looked down at her, amusement and satisfaction playing across his snake-like face.

'In all those years I hid in the forests of Albania, I lived off other animals as the meanest of ghosts, possessing their bodies and moving onto the next one once they'd died... it was a horrible way to live... I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself...

'But then seven years ago, a young girl wandered into the woods... a young girl that I knew. It was then that I remembered we had taken the infant Dawn Potter all those years ago and hidden her in a stronghold near Albania. What was it that we had needed her for again? Ah, yes... we had planned on using her to force her parents out of hiding... but then Wormtail came along and told us he knew where we could find the Potters and we did not need her anymore...'

One of the hooded figure shifted uneasily on their feet. It took Shadow several moments to recognize the short, perspiring man as Peter Pettigrew. For some reason, his left hand was now encased in silver.

'I remember musing to myself that my Death Eaters must've fled and abandoned everything after my disappearance... they did not even finish carrying out the simple task of killing an infant girl. But as it turned out it was a blessing in disguise... when young Dawn Potter stumbled across my hiding place, I did not hesitate to possess her... the first human contact I'd had in years...'

Shadow closed her eyes. She could feel everyone looking at her, Harry's gaze aghast as for the first time, her story was laid bare. She felt dirty, contaminated. She'd hosted the evil spirit of Voldemort and had lived to tell the tale. What did that say about her?

'Oh, the fun we had,' Voldemort's voice was right beside her ear now. He trailed the tip of his wand against Shadow's cheek, making her flinch. 'I will forever remember the first time I forced her to kill... don't you remember it, Dawn? How the woman gasped for breath, eyes wide and accusing...'

Shadow lashed out a leg, but Voldemort evaded her easily, laughing cruelly.

'Her soul was so bright. It fed me for two years without failing, and I was the strongest I'd been since I had been robbed of my body.' Voldemort looked down at her, red eyes malicious. 'But then little Dawn surprised me. She broke free of my control and escaped... right into the arms of Albus Dumbledore and the Ministry, where she was placed in an orphanage that was under the watchful eye of many wizards. She was clever. I could not touch her now. But I got you again three years later, did I not, Dawn?'

Shadow turned away. _Never again_, she vowed.

'Perhaps I'll let you watch me kill your brother, and then leave you to live,' Voldemort mused. 'There is a darkness in your heart that can be used... a great potential that could be fulfilled... especially after I found this on you...' Voldemort extracted something from his robes. It was Shadow's blade, the green and silver one Dumbledore had given to her all those years ago. Voldemort gazed at it with something almost akin to greed. 'The blade of Salazar Slytherin,' he murmured. 'I have long searched for this, yet it had eluded me...'

There was a long moment of silence as Voldemort turned the dagger over in his hands. Then he gestured sharply at Wormtail. 'Tie her to the gravestone beside Diggory's body. I have use of her later.'

Wormtail dragged her away outside the circle of Death Eaters, his silver hand crushing her wrist like metal vices, completely oblivious to her struggle. Behind her, she heard the high, cold voice say, 'Crucio!'

Harry's scream of agony ripped through her being. Shadow gave a muffled yelled into her gag and tried once more to kick at her captor, to no avail. She was so busy fighting against her bonds as Wormtail tied her down that she didn't notice the unmoving body not far from her until her brother's yells stopped and Wormtail had hurried away.

_'Cedric_?'

The name didn't make it past the black material stuffed in her mouth. The still form of Cedric Diggory did not stir. Shadow strained against the rope and nudged him with her foot. 'Cedric, get up!' she tried to say.

He did not move.

Shadow kicked out harder. Cedric's head lilted to the side and she caught sight of his wide, staring eyes, his face a frozen mask of surprise.

Cedric Diggory was dead.

Shadow stared at his body, so shocked that she barely registered the ripple of laughter that came from the Death Eaters as Voldemort forced her brother to bow. Cedric was dead. _How could Cedric be dead?_ She didn't really know him that well, but he had been kind to her once, telling her upfront that he'd completely disagreed with Rita Skeeter's article about her. He was an honorable person, charming and loyal. He couldn't simply be gone like that.

Another scream tore through the air, jolting her back to her senses. She couldn't help Cedric, but she could help Harry.

Shadow wrenched at her bonds with all her strength. The sleeve of her robes ripped. The rope cut deep into her skin, but she disregarded the searing pain, yanking savagely against the grating bindings. Harry screamed once more. She threw herself desperately against the rope, panting with the effort of holding in her own strangled yell of pain.

Then finally, _finally,_ her arm - slicked with blood - slipped free. She tore the cloth out of her mouth and wriggled out of her bonds. When she had freed the rest of her body, she crawled towards the dark crowd of cloaked figures, but before she reached it, two voices cried out.

_'Avada Kedavra!' _

'_Expelliarmus!'_

There was an explosion of red and green light, and Shadow instinctively ducked behind a gravestone. A series of gasps and then yells of panic sounded from the Death Eaters. Warily, she stuck her head out slowly. Harry and Voldemort had both risen into the air, their wands connected by a deep golden thread of light that expanded outwards to encase them in a gold net even as she watched.

Shadow gawked at the phenomenon for a moment, then her mind kicked into action. _Use this distraction._ She pulled out her wand, which was thankfully still stuck in her belt beneath her robes, and ran out to where the Death Eaters were milling below the golden cage in confusion.

'_Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus! Incarcerous!_'

The Death Eaters scattered, three of them falling to her spells. She whirled through them, stunning two more. This was what'd she'd been practicing all summer. Shadow was in her element.

Suddenly, a haunting phoenix song floated through the air, vibrating directly from where Harry and Voldemort were still suspended in the air. Shadow spun around. Her brother wore an expression of fierce concentration as he clutched onto the wand with both hands, as if he was trying not to break the golden threads of light.

'Stupefy!'

Shadow looked back in time to receive a face full red light and she was blasted backwards into the ground. The wounds on her arms burned and the air was stolen from her lungs. She laid there gasping for breath, unable to move.

A Death Eater towered over her, wand poised to strike, but then he hesitated, looking down at her in clear indecision. Shadow grimaced in pain. Why wasn't he attacking?

Her eyes moved past the metal mask to stare into gray eyes. Very familiar gray eyes.

It was Lucius Malfoy.

They stared at each other for several moments, then Shadow felt her motor skills return. Without thinking, she swept her feet around and kicked his legs out from under him. 'Sorry,' she muttered as she ran past him.

Shadow skidded to a stop when she finally saw what had occupied the rest of the Death Eaters' attentions. They were all backing away from the smoky figures that were emerging from Voldemort's wand. There was Cedric Diggory, a muggle man, Bertha Jorkins, and...

She froze. The ghost of her mother turned towards her, a sad smile flickering on her face. Lily Evans looked just like she had in the pictures Dumbledore had showed her, though her solid gray form didn't show the fiery red of her hair. Shadow had inherited her slender jaw, eyes, and nose, as well as the way her mouth curved when she smiled. No wonder people constantly told her she looked like her mother.

Then James Potter stepped out from behind his wife. It was like seeing Harry in front of her, though it was an older and more mischievous version of Harry. He had the same unruly hair, the same posture, and the same crooked smile. Her father beamed down at her, expression full of love and pride.

Suddenly his gaze shifted to something behind her, and his eyes widened in alarm and warning.

Shadow threw herself to one side, landing heavily on her elbows. Something white and hot burned past her, ruffling her hair. She rolled over to see the Death Eaters had recovered from the shock of seeing the dead rise again. They were closing in on her, wands raised.

She ducked and rolled as another barrage of spells sailed past her. 'Stupefy!' She aimed at random. 'Impedimenta!'

Above her, Harry suddenly roared, 'NOW!'

The music stopped and the golden light flickered out. Shadow looked up, as did the rest of the Death Eaters, and Harry was there, yanking her to her feet, a look of single-minded determination on his face as he pulled her into a flat-out run.

'Get to the cup, get to Cedric,' he panted.

'_Stun him!_' they heard Voldemort scream.

'_Impendimenta_!'

Both of their spells blasted into the ranks of the closing Death Eaters simultaneously, but they would've been hit with stunning spells anyways had Harry not dragged them behind a marble angel. A second later, they were running in the open again, towards Cedric and the cup...

'Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!' shrieked Voldemort.

'Protego!' Shadow shouted, though she knew it'd be useless against killing spells.

Her shield charm expanded behind them as she and Harry tried to pull Cedric's body towards the cup. One tombstone stood between them and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry and the cup was out of reach -

'Accio!' Harry pointed his wand at the Triwizard Cup. It flew into the air and he caught it -

'No!' Shadow realized a second too late she'd have to touch it too. She lunged forward and her hand clamped around Cedric's foot as he disappeared. The world tore apart as gravity and air fought her. Portkeys weren't supposed to work like apparition - they could only transport you if you had contact with it - but Shadow redoubled her grip on Cedric's leg. _You'll just have to take me along_, she thought grimly as they whirled in wind and colour... but her hand was slipping... Cedric and Harry were twisting away from her... so much pain in her back...

Shadow hit the ground with enough force to knock all the air out of her lungs. For a moment, she was too terrified to open her eyes. She'd let go - _she'd let go! _But when she finally dared to crack her eyes open, she was filled with immense relief. The familiar grassy smell and sight of the Hogwarts ground greeted her. She'd made it back.

Across the clearing, she saw that she had landed a huge distance away from where Harry was lying, hand still clamped around Cedric's wrist. Dumbledore, the judges, and all the teachers were converging upon her brother. The crowd were all screaming and shouting in panic. Nobody had noticed her yet, crumpled at the in the shade of the towering wall of the maze. Now that she was back in safety, all the adrenaline left her in a rush, leaving her so dizzy with exhaustion that she would have toppled over if she wasn't already lying on the floor. Her arms throbbed and burned where the rope had ripped and tore into. The back of her robes were strangely wet and her shoulders felt painful... All she wanted to do was sleep... sleep and forget everything that had happened... maybe she'd wake up and it'd all be a bad dream...

'Shadow! Shadow!'

She opened her eyes to see Draco kneeling before her, his face bloodless with worry. Beside him, Daphne was shaking her uninjured arm urgently.

'What happened? You were gone for so long!'

Shadow tried to say something, but something seemed to be draining all her strength. Their faces flickered unsteadily in front of her. What was wrong? She hadn't been injured all that badly...

'Merlin's beard, Draco, this is blood!'

Shadow opened her mouth again to tell Daphne it was okay, just a minor wound on her arm, but then a terrible wailing sounded from the other side of the pitch. She strained blearily to see what was going on. Amos Diggory had fallen to the ground beside his dead son, weeping uncontrollably.

'Bloody hell, Shadow, there's a knife in your back!'

'What?'

'Oh gods! There's so much blood!'

'What the bloody hell - Shadow stay with me!' Draco had his hands on either side of her face. 'Stay with me!'

'Get Dumbledore,' she heard herself say.

Then Albus Dumbledore's face was swimming in front of her. 'Now, Shadow, I'm going to pull the blade out. You mustn't lose consciousness, do you understand? Mr Malfoy, make sure she doesn't lose consciousness.'

A warm hand clenched hers tightly and Draco's face filled her vision. 'You're not leaving me,' he said through gritted teeth. 'Stay. Right. Here.'

There was a sudden jerk at her upper back and agony ripped through her. Shadow screamed in pain. The world was flickering and dimming... her heart was thundering through her veins... the pain was everywhere... a tidal wave of blackness threatened to engulf her...

Then it stopped, leaving Shadow gasping for breath. The darkness receded and Draco's face came into view again. He had abandoned her hand and returned to gripping her face between his. He was repeating her name over and over, his gray eyes wild with terror... gray eyes that she had last seen underneath a Death Eater's hood.

Shadow tried to sit up, but the world tilted so suddenly that she might have fainted, but Draco caught her again before she could fall. 'Professor Dumbledore!' she rasped. 'Where's Harry? Did he tell you -'

'I am aware you and your brother saw Lord Voldemort rise again,' Dumbledore said. Somehow he'd gotten hold of a steaming goblet - then Shadow saw that Madam Pomfrey was hovering at his side, looking extremely tense. 'Drink this, Shadow.' Dumbledore tipped it down her throat, forcing her to swallow.

The world returned to high-definition color and sound in a sudden rush as energy poured back into her. She gasped and bolted upright, almost banging her forehead into Draco's jaw. 'Oh, sorry Draco -'

He crushed her into a hug. 'Don't ever do that to me again, do you understand?' he said fiercely.

'I know, I...' Shadow caught sight of the chaos surrounding Cedric's body. 'Where's Harry?' she demanded. 'I can't see Harry!'

Then she was struck by another thought. She twisted out of Draco's grip. 'Professor Dumbledore, there's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! Moody's a Death Eater!'

Madam Pomfrey gave a nervous start from where she'd been busy checking Shadow's now-healed wound. 'Now, dear, I know you've been in shock, but -'

'No, Professor, it's true!'

Dumbledore stared at her through his half-moon spectacles for a long moment, then stood up abruptly. 'Poppy, take her to the hospital wing.'

'Professor -'

He was already striding away, blue cloak billowing out behind him. 'Minerva! Severus!

Shadow slumped back against Draco in relief. He'd believed her. Harry would be safe.

'Drink this,' Madam Pomfrey said, giving her another goblet. 'It's a potion for dreamless sleep. We'll magic you up to the Hospital Wing.'

Shadow took the cup gratefully and drank all of it in one go. The last thing she saw before sleep claimed her were Draco's anxious silver-gray eyes.

S

The light of the misty, gray dawn filtered into Dumbledore's office, touching some objects, while leaving others in the shadows. Nothing moved, a steady silence permeating the room. Dumbledore looked as Shadow watched the cold sunlight begin to touch the sides of the silver lake.

Finally, she spoke, her voice flat. 'You want me to spy on him.'

Dumbledore's sigh was heavy with regret. 'I'm afraid so, Shadow. You understand the difficulty of the situation, what with the Ministry refusing to believe your brother -' here, Shadow made an angry noise at the back of her throat '- and the delicacy of our position in opposition to Lord Voldemort.'

'How do you know he won't kill me?'

'He will not. As you have told me yourself, he was not planning on killing you anyways when he was in the graveyard that night.'

'That was _before_ I escaped from right under his nose.'

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and looked at her over them. 'Yes, but I think Lord Voldemort believes he has a very... thorough understanding of how your mind works. He believes you will bend under the right pressure and join his side eventually. After all, he's been in your thoughts for two years.'

'You mean he thinks I'm evil,' Shadow said dully.

'He _thinks_, Shadow. But you are not. I know you are not. Lord Voldemort has not been in your mind for over three years, and a lot can happen in that time span. He believes he has extinguished your ability to care for others, but he has not. It is, once again, his weakness in underestimating the power of love.'

'So I am to just pretend nothing happened? I'm supposed to just stand to one side as the wizarding world throw their derision at Harry?'

'It would be a necessary step to take in order to gain Lord Voldemort's trust.' Dumbledore exhaled slowly. 'I know what I am asking of you is dangerous and against all your morals, but it will help, Shadow. It will help.'

Shadow said nothing. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edges of her chair.

'Professor Snape will ensure that no harm will come to you,' Dumbledore continued after a long pause. 'And your relation with Mr Malfoy will probably mean that the Malfoy family will do everything in their power to keep you safe as well.'

'So I'm going to be using Draco as well.'

Dumbledore stood and moved his way towards the window. 'I believe he has already extended an invitation for you to stay at Malfoy Manor over the summer?'

Shadow slumped in defeat. 'Yes.'

'Then you will accept. You must start associating with those of Voldemort's inner circle.' He turned around to pierce her with his eyes. 'And, Shadow, you must promise me that you will do nothing rash, no matter the provocation. Especially next school year.'

She didn't really see what choice she had. As long as the outcome would keep Harry safe. 'I promise.'

The tension in Dumbledore's shoulders lessened, and he settled into his chair once more. 'I thank you, Shadow,' he said. 'Your promise means much to me.'

Shadow didn't deign to reply.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out a green-silver blade. He placed on the desk in front of Shadow. 'I will be keeping this, I think. It seems to me that Voldemort has an obsession with finding the belongings of Hogwarts' founders, and I believe we'll still need this blade. You do not mind, Shadow?'

She stared at the dagger she had last seen sticking out of her own back. 'No. You can keep it.'

'Good.' Dumbledore sighed again. 'And so ends another school year. So much has happened in your lifetime and your brother's already. I hope fate will grant us a peaceful one next year.'

Shadow rested her head against the back of her chair. 'I doubt fate will be that kind, sir. Not by a long shot.'


	8. Chapter 8: Fifth Year

_It was the same dream again._

_Draco stared at the oak door in front of him, the dark wood familiar yet foreboding. He didn't want to open it - he knew what he'd find behind it, but his hand reached out on its own accord and turned the handle._

_The room was dark and filled with shadows. The only light source came from the crackling fireplace, casting a dim red hue over the single large desk in the center of the room, skimming over the towering shelves of books and files beside it. A tall man stood silhouetted against the fire. He was staring down at something in his hands, something that glinted silver._

_Lucius Malfoy turned to look at his son. His face was shadowed, the angles and planes of his face thrown in sharp relief by the glow of the fire. Slowly, he moved his hands until Draco saw the metal mask that he was holding. It was a mask he'd seen before, hidden deep beneath the drawing room of Malfoy Manor, the first display you'd see when you walked into the secret room that was stashed with various dark objects. It was something his father had always looked at with distant fondness, like one would look back at his reminiscences of old times; the Malfoy family had always treasured the Death Eater mask with pride._

_'He is back,' Lucius said softly, his voice echoing strangely in the darkness. 'The Dark Lord is truly back.'_

_The scene shifted._

_Draco was in yet another environment that flickered with torchlight. The massive walls of the Triwizard maze towered over him, casting him in deep shadow as he knelt beside a slender form that lay on the ground with terrifying stillness. The two of them was suspended in an eerie silence, even though he knew that if he turned around, he'd see the Hogwarts stands filled to the brim with panicking students. His muscles seemed frozen as he reached out to shake Shadow by her shoulders, though somewhere in the back of his mind, his subconsciousness tried to reassure him she's wasn't dead. She had lived, she had survived._

_He saw the blood, the knife, her hand curled loosely around her wand..._

_Then her hair fell away from her face and Draco's heart stopped. A black tidal wave of fear slammed through him as he stared into her blank, lifeless eyes. She was paper-white, her lips bloodless, and no breath escaped her. _No,_ Draco tried to shout. _She's not dead! She lived, she lived!

_Suddenly, Shadow gasped and sat up. Light returned to her eyes, bringing with it a haunted look of fear and horror. But when she saw him, the look disappeared, replaced by an expression colder than the frostiest winds of winter. A new kind of terror filled Draco._

_'Shadow?' he asked hesitantly._

_The terrible mixture of fear, disgust, and hatred that she gave him pierced his soul sharper than any blade. His breath vanished, but the lack of oxygen didn't seem as important as the vast emptiness that suddenly opened inside of him. _

_'Death Eater,' Shadow hissed at him._

Draco woke up with a start. His heart hammered in his throat, and his vision still swam with Shadow's accusing green eyes. The familiar darkness of his room greeted him, the small amounts of sunlight that seeped from beneath his black velvet curtains enough for him to make out the outlines of the end of his bed and the edges of his large desk, scattered with books, quills, and parchment. He drank the sight in, desperately trying to clear his mind. He'd had that dream ever since he came back from Hogwarts, and it still made his head pound.

He was so distracted that it took him several minutes to realize that there was something moving on his desk, a large lump in the darkness that ruffled its feathers patiently as it watched him. Draco leaped out of his bed in shock at the sight of the snowy owl.

_What the hell is Potter's owl doing in my house?_

Draco reached out to take the scroll tied to the owl's leg, but it hopped back and gave him a sharp nip.

'Ow!'

The owl gave him a look that clearly said it wasn't impressed. The letter must've been addressed to someone else. Draco snatched at it anyways, glaring at the owl when it gave an indignant hoot.

'Get out of my house,' he told it irritably. 'Your job is done.'

The owl - Hedwig, Draco remembered Shadow calling it - screeched angrily and took flight, purposefully clipping her wings hard against his shoulders on its way out the window.

'Overstuffed git,' he muttered. 'Just like your owner.'

Draco unrolled the letter, bringing it closer to the window to read. It was addressed to Shadow.

_I've just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here. Harry._

That was it. Draco frowned. While he felt extremely amused at the thought of Potter and his deathly fear of dementors (and overjoyed that he might be expelled), there was still the question of why a letter meant for Shadow had ended up here. She was currently at the Greengrass Manor, since Daphne had successfully cajoled her into visiting her first before going over to stay at Malfoy Manor. He would have been irked, had circumstances not arisen that caused him to be thankful Shadow hadn't come over yet. The Dark Lord had visited his father a couple of times the past few weeks, and Draco had pieced together enough of Shadow's past to know that she feared him. He had also overheard that Voldemort had taken refuge in the Lestrange's abandoned house, and that though the Ministry was refusing to believe he was back, the Dark Lord had already moved several of his pieces into the game, a couple of which concerned recapturing the Potter twins.

Suddenly, there was a sharp tap on the window. Draco looked up. It was another bird - but this time an obsidian hawk instead of an owl. He hurried over to let Nightshade in.

_Dear Draco,_

_Daphne's grandfather just passed away. The Greengrass family is going to head to Sweden this afternoon to keep her grandmother company. That means that I'll be arriving in the morning. Sorry, I know it's a bit rushed, but hey, you want to see me don't you?_

_Love,_

_Shadow_

Draco stood there for a moment, clutching his letter in surprise, before the words kicked in. Shadow as coming _today._ She was arriving _now._ And his hair wasn't even brushed.

Draco wrenched the door open and flew down the marble staircase. 'Mother! Father! Shadow's coming today!' he hollered.

His parents were both seated in the sitting room, Narcissa flipping through photo albums and smiling, while Lucius had a thick book on alchemy open in front of him, a steaming cauldron beside it. Both of them looked up when Draco burst into the room.

'Draco,' Narcissa admonished before he could recover his breath. 'What have I told you about yelling in the Manor?'

'Mother, Shadow's arriving now!'

Lucius frowned. 'Isn't she coming next week?'

'No, Daphne's grandfather just died, so the Greengrasses have to attend to his funeral.'

'Oh,' Narcissa rose. 'I must write condolences to Alisa.'

Draco shifted on his foot impatiently. 'I think you're missing the point here!'

'I know that Shadow is coming, dear,' Narcissa said with a touch of amusement. 'The Manor is always presentable - you know that. The only part that perhaps needs more polishing is you and your room, Draco.'

'Mom!'

'I will tell the house-elves to prepare something nice for lunch,' Narcissa said in the parting, smiling at her son's exasperation.

She left the room. Draco shifted his attention to his father, slightly nervous for his reaction. Lucius hadn't exactly jumped for joy when Draco had told him he'd invited Shadow over. His gaze had darkened, and he hadn't said anything.

Lucius stirred his cauldron carefully, his wand held close to the surface of the bubbling chemical. His expression was unreadable, but Draco was practiced in trying to decipher any indication of approval or disapproval in his father's face. Lucius was trying not to show that he didn't like Shadow's early arrival.

'What did she do to make you disapprove of her like this?' Draco asked cautiously, after almost a solid minute of silence.

'I do not disapprove of her,' Lucius contradicted. 'I am merely... wary.'

'Why?'

Lucius looked up now, his gray eyes - so much like his son's - boring into Draco's. 'Do not pretend you do not know the fine line you are walking on with Shadow Potter, Draco. You come from a family of proud Death Eaters, and now that the Dark Lord is back, he wants to kill her brother. He also wants to corrupt her and make her join his ranks as well, just to prove to the wizarding world his power and might.'

Draco turned away. He'd been dreading this conversation for ages - ever since he'd been having that dream.

'I know, father,' he muttered. 'Believe me, I've thought about it.'

Lucius gave him a stern look, and looked like he wanted to say more, but before he could, the doorbell rang.

'Merlin's beard!' Draco jumped as if he'd received an electric shock. 'She's here!'

He reached the front door of the Manor just as the house-elves were pulling it shut. Shadow was examining a large vase of flowers propped on a round table in view of the door. Her trunk leaned against her leg as she looked curiously at the unnatural shade of turquoise and orange the flowers had grown in.

'My mother charmed those,' Draco said.

Shadow spun. 'Draco!'

'Hey,' he came over to her, now aware of his disheveled hair, rumpled shirt, and bare feet more than ever.

She seemed to read his thoughts. 'New look this summer?' Shadow asked, eyeing his hair.

'Your message came a bit late.'

'Yeah, sorry about that.' She reached out and batted at the wild platinum tufts. 'I like it though.'

'You do?'

'Yeah.' Her eyes traveled down the rest of his body.

'We can go up to your room whenever you're done goggling,' Draco said dryly.

Shadow snorted. 'You're not as skinny as I thought.'

'Robes can be deceiving.'

'Yeah?' Shadow fingered the sleeve of his gray shirt. 'I like this better too.'

Draco's smirk was interrupted when Narcissa swept in.

'Shadow, dear,' she said fondly. 'It's good to see you.'

'Narcissa.' Shadow smiled and accepted the hug Narcissa offered.

'I keep forgetting you're more acquainted with my parents than I am,' Draco grumbled.

Shadow laughed. 'I lived here over the Christmas of second year, in case you didn't know.'

'Oh. Yeah.'

'Your room is the same as before, on the third floor with Draco's,' Narcissa told her. 'We'll have lunch in a couple of hours.'

'Okay.' Shadow began to heft her trunk towards the wide staircase.

'There are house-elves that can do that for you, dear,' Narcissa said.

'Oh no, it's okay,' Shadow huffed. 'My friend would kill me if she knew I told house-elves to carry my trunk for me.'

Draco bit back a sharp remark. He knew exactly which mudblood she was talking about.

'Here, let me carry it,' Draco said, when his mother gave him a hard look.

Shadow had already made it halfway up the steps. 'No, I think I got it -'

'Stop destroying my attempts to be gentlemanly.' Draco grabbed her trunk and lugged it all the way up the three flights of stairs. He heard Shadow say a hasty farewell to his mother before following him up. He shouldered open the room Narcissa had prepared for Shadow and dropped the trunk on the carpet, trying not to show how much effort it had taken.

'Thanks.' Shadow gave him a look of amusement that told him she knew exactly how much he wanted to roll his shoulders and stretch. 'Where's your room?'

'You don't know?' Draco asked in surprise.

'I didn't go looking for your room during any of the times I was here.'

'Terrible taste,' Draco smirked and opened the door again. 'I'll show you. It's right across the hall.'

Shadow followed him into his room and watched him rip open the curtains, kick various things under his bed, and try to hide how messy his desk was.

'Very... you,' she said after a moment, clearly trying to keep a straight face as he shoved all his books and papers into one pile. 'Oh, hello Nightshade.'

Draco looked up to see the black hawk had perched itself onto Shadow's arm.

'Oh yeah, there was a letter from your brother,' he told her in an offhand voice.

'What?' she said in surprise. 'Harry wrote to _you_?'

'No, no,' Draco said hastily. 'Merlin forbid, no. It's for you. The owl just delivered it here minutes before your arrival.'

Shadow's expression cleared. 'Oh. Did you open it?'

'Yeah,' Draco said unabashedly, giving her the letter. 'I wanted to know why Potter's owl was in my house.'

She snorted, but when she read the note, her amusement vanished. '"Attacked by dementors"? How is that possible?'

'He might be expelled,' Draco couldn't help but add.

Shadow stared down at the letter for another moment, clearly wrestling with something. Draco raised an eyebrow. Why was she hesitating to reply to her brother?

'I'm sure he'll be fine,' she said abruptly. Shadow took her wand out and lit the parchment on fire.

Draco watched her empty her palm of ash into his bin with an open mouth. 'What was that about?' he demanded. 'Did you have an argument with Potter?'

Immediately, he regretted his question. A storm of emotions chased across her face before it closed off, leaving a mask of coolness.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' Shadow turned to look out the window, putting her back to him.

'Right,' Draco said after an awkward pause. 'Well, you want to play Quidditch? I've got an extra broom.'

'I've got my own broom,' said Shadow. To Draco's relief, she turned around, expression friendly again. 'Daphne got it for me last week - it's the same as yours, actually.'

'The Nimbus 2001? Why didn't you get a Firebolt?'

Shadow shrugged. 'The Nimbus isn't bad.'

Draco looked away to hide his grin, trying not to feel too pleased with the fact that she'd chosen his broom over her brother's.

'C'mon,' he said. 'Let's play.'

S

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I've reached Malfoy Manor. There's nothing in their drawing room that we don't already know about. Mr Nott came over to visit Mr Malfoy a couple days ago, though, and I managed to overhear a bit of their conversation. You were right - the Dark Lord has already dispatched people to parley with the giants. If Mr Nott's information is valid, they've already arrived, which means Hagrid might see them._

_That's all I've discovered for now._

_Shadow_

Shadow put down her quill and reread her letter. It was very abrupt, she knew, and not at all her most polite piece of work. She couldn't help it though. In his previous instructions to her, he had told her not to write anymore letters to Harry. _Sirius has informed your brother about the your role this year, _he had written, _Harry will understand the need for discretion. I am deeply sorry that I have to involve you, Shadow, but you must expect less interaction with him for a while afterwards._

She knew what Harry's reaction would be if he knew what she was doing, especially since he'd been trapped at the Dursleys for the past month. He'd be angry. Very angry. And who'd blame him? Dumbledore seemed determined to keep Harry out of action as much as possible, and any boy would feel wounded if they discovered their younger sister was putting her life out there while he wallowed away at his aunt and uncle's.

It wasn't as if her job was very dangerous, though. Dumbledore had made sure of that before he'd selected her for the task. However, the guilt of what she was doing weighed down on her every time she lied outright to Draco's face or made up some excuse to double back. Shadow felt much more sympathy and understanding for Snape now, who was also a double-agent. What must it feel like to be betraying your friends year after year? To stand by and watch as your loved ones suffer?

_Guess I'll find out_, she thought bitterly.

'Here,' Shadow said to Nightshade, coaxing her onto her shoulder. 'This is for Dumbledore, got it?'

Nightshade snapped her beak in assurance as Shadow tied the letter onto the proffered leg. Then, she swooped out the window and winged off towards the horizon.

'Shadow! Shadow!'

She turned just as Draco burst into her room. He was waving two letters in the air, both with the Hogwart's seal.

'Our booklists have arrived! And guess what?'

Draco dumped out the contents of his envelope. Something emerald and silver fell onto the desk.

'_Prefect?_' Shadow gasped. 'I completely forgot they were appointing prefects in fifth year! Congratulations, Draco!'

'Check yours!' he urged, thrusting her letter into her hands. 'I'm pretty sure you're the other one!'

Shadow ripped open her envelope and beamed at the sight of a matching Slytherin prefect badge. 'Yes!'

Draco whooped. 'Come on, mom and dad will want to know.' He seized her by the hand and dragged her out.

For a moment, Shadow allowed herself to forget her guilt.

S

'I remember the last time we sent off you two like this,' Narcissa said as she and Lucius watched Draco and Shadow drag their trunks onto the Hogwarts Express. 'It was in first year, wasn't it? And now you're in fifth year... prefects too. How time flies.'

'Mom,' Draco said. 'Quit reminiscing.'

'Be good,' said Lucius to his son. 'And be fair prefects.'

He nodded at Shadow stiffly. 'It was a pleasure to have you with us for the summer, Shadow,' he said formally.

Shadow shook his hand, trying not to show her wariness in her smile. Lucius hadn't made any effort to talk to her more than necessary during her stay, and she hadn't encouraged him. Every time she saw him, another scene would flash in her mind - a scene filled with eerie lights and Death Eater masks.

Suddenly, a loud commotion sounded from the far side of the platform. All four of them turned to see a group of redheads run through the platform, surrounded by people Shadow recognized from the Order of the Phoenix. With them was a great black dog - the one making all the noise at it barked and gamboled around their carts.

Lucius Malfoy's eyes turned cold and malicious as he looked upon the Weasley family. He brushed past Shadow to murmur something in Narcissa's ear.

'Isn't that the Sirius Black's Animagus form?' Shadow strained to hear. 'The one Pettigrew told us about?'

Shadow felt herself freeze in terror. She swung around to look at the Weasley group again, trying to catch someone's eye. Mad-Eye glanced at her.

_Sirius_, she mouthed as best as she could without drawing Draco's attention.

Mad-Eye turned away again without giving any indication he'd understood. Shadow felt her anxiety increase.

Lucius then leaned over to whisper into Draco's ear, and Shadow knew with dreaded certainty that he'd told him about Sirius.

'Come on,' she said loudly. 'We should get on the train.'

'Okay,' Draco said, but not without giving his father a knowing smirk.

'We're in the prefect carriage, aren't we?' Shadow asked, after they'd said their farewells to Draco's parents.

'Yup.' Draco hummed to himself, patting the badge pinned to his chest.

Shadow rolled her eyes and pushed at him from behind. 'Move it then, Mr. Prefect.'

He saluted smartly. 'Yes ma'am.'

When they slid into the prefect carriage though, Shadow was completely unprepared to see Ron and Hermione seated in there, along with Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Anthony Goldstein, and Padma Patil. Apparently, Draco hadn't been either. He stopped so abruptly at the sight of them that Shadow crashed into his back.

'_Weasley_ was made a prefect?' he asked loudly.

Ron's ears glowed red. He glared at Draco. 'I'm more surprised _you_ made the cut, Malfoy,' he spat.

'No one in the right mind would appoint _you_,' Draco said disdainfully. 'But then we can't say that Dumbledore's in the right mind, can we?'

Shadow gave him a warning prod. He did _not_ want to say in a place where the Head Boy or Head Girl could hear him. Fortunately, neither had entered the compartment yet.

Draco sidled through the door and took the seat farthest away from Hermione and Ron, making no effort to hide his disgust. Shadow followed him in, glancing over Ron and Hermione with a cool look. Hermione's warm greeting died and turned into a look of surprise.

'Hello,' Anthony Goldstein said after a moment of tense silence. Outside, a whistle blew and the train began moving. 'You're Shadow Potter, right?'

'Yeah.' Shadow glanced over at him in surprise. Anthony was a good-looking fellow, with strong shoulders and blond hair. They'd never spoken before though. Beside her, she felt Draco tense. She shot him a look of amusement.

'Just making sure,' Anthony said good-naturedly. 'I never got the chance to talk to you in Arithmancy.'

Just then, the compartment door slid open, and two seventh years came in. Both of them had pinned on a Head Boy/Head Girl badge.

'Hello,' the brown-haired Head Girl with haughty amber eyes said. 'My name is Gemma Farley, and this is Robert Hilliard. We're in charge of you lot this year.'

'Slytherin,' Draco said out of the corner of his mouth to Shadow. 'My father knows her parents.'

'We'll be going over your rules and responsibilities as prefects,' Robert said. 'You all have to be pretty decent to have been chosen by Dumbledore as role-models to your fellow classmates, but just because you have this new status doesn't mean you should flaunt it.' His gaze flashed briefly towards Draco.

'Ravenclaw,' Draco muttered after the Head Boy looked away. 'My aunt killed his father.'

Later, when they filed out of the compartment, Draco purposefully rammed his shoulders against Ron, almost knocking the redhead over into Hermione. Shadow ignored the other girl's accusatory look as she brushed past them as well. Her hand collided with Hermione's, and Shadow used that chance to stuff a crumpled note into her hand. Then she stalked off after Draco.

Hopefully, Hermione and Harry would be able to warn Sirius that Lucius Malfoy had recognized him.

When Shadow and Draco had both returned to the Slytherin compartment, Shadow sat beside Daphne, listening as Pansy gushed over Draco and his new badge.

'One would think she'd have the decency to stop batting her eyelashes so obviously, especially when you're sitting right across from her,' Daphne muttered to Shadow. 'She looks like she's having an eye-seizure.'

Shadow snorted. 'Since when was Pansy decent? It doesn't matter. I'll be worried only if Draco starts becoming attracted to eye-seizures.'

Daphne stifled a laugh. To Shadow's relief, she hadn't changed all that much after the death of her grandfather. She was sad, yes, but she had also told Shadow that she hadn't known him that well.

Blaise looked up from where he was lounging on Daphne's other side. '_I'd _be worried too if Draco started thinking eye-twitching was sexy.'

Everyone in the compartment coughed except for Pansy, who was still going on about how her grandmother had been a prefect too.

'I think I'm going to go out for a stroll,' Draco interrupted her speech. He grinned at Crabbe and Goyle. 'Perhaps we should drop by Potter's compartment and see if we can take points off him before the school year even starts.'

'Don't abuse your position,' Shadow said in a falsely bored voice.

'Of course I won't,' Draco smirked, growing more and more bold after Shadow didn't stop him directly. 'Only if _he_ doesn't overstep _his_ position.'

Then, laughing, he, Crabbe, and Goyle left the compartment.

Theo gave Shadow an arched look after the door shut again. 'I'm surprised you didn't stop him.'

'Harry can take care of himself,' Shadow said. And that ended any further comments on her lack of reaction.

By the time the Hogwarts Express finally started slowing down, Shadow's stomach was growling so loudly that everyone in the compartment could hear it.

'Didn't you eat two sandwiches for lunch?' Draco asked as they walked off the train, feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they trudged towards where the carriages were waiting.

'Yeah. So?'

Draco looked amused. 'Nevermind.'

He pushed aside a couple of timid-looking second years to get into a coach.

'Draco!' Shadow admonished. 'Get back down here! It's alright,' she added to second years. 'You can have this one. He's just a tad bit egotistical, you see, completely oblivious to anyone else.'

'Hey,' Draco complained, clambering back down the steps reluctantly. 'This is _our_ coach!'

'Over here!' Blaise called from where he and Daphne had gotten into a separate coach.

'Fine,' Draco sighed. 'I rest my case.'

When they were all settled and the carriages had started moving, Blaise said, 'Did you see the Grubby-Plank woman? She was the one leading the first years across the lake. I wonder what happened to the big oaf?'

'He probably got himself sacked,' Daphne said dismissively.

'Nah, my father told me he was messing with things a little _too big_ for him, if you get my drift,' Draco smirked.

Shadow looked at him sharply. 'Giants?'

'Yep.' Draco stretched luxuriously. 'What a waste of time for him. The Dark Lord has already dispatched people there.'

Then he froze, horrified he'd let slip. None of them had actually acknowledged the return of Voldemort yet, nor had they discussed any Death Eater activities when Shadow was around.

'Ah well,' Shadow heard herself saying in order to dispense the sudden awkwardness. 'At least your Care of Magical Creatures class will be better. I still think you should've dropped it and switched to Ancient Runes with me.'

But inside, she was really wondering just how much the Death Eaters knew of Dumbledore's movements. They always seemed one step ahead, no matter how hard the Order worked. If even Draco had access to supposedly secret information - the Ministry knew nothing of Hagrid's side trip - then what chance did they really have in outmaneuvering Voldemort?

S

'That Umbridge woman is going to be a terrible teacher,' Shadow grumbled darkly as the Slytherins all made their way down to the common room after the welcome feast.

'How do you know?' Blaise asked.

'She hates children. You can tell by the way she looks at us. Also, anyone with that kind of fashion sense can't be a good person in general.'

'My father knows her,' Draco said. 'She's Fudge's personal assistant, apparently.'

'Personal assistant or not, she better teach us well - it's our OWL year.'

'Don't remind me,' Blaise groaned.

'We've got our career advice later this year too,' Daphne said thoughtfully. 'Has anyone thought about what they want to do after Hogwarts?'

'No.' Draco's expression turned more smug than ever. 'I don't have to work, do I?'

Daphne sighed. 'You'll be bored, you know that, right?'

'My father isn't bored,' Draco shot back.

'I was thinking of playing Quidditch as a profession,' Shadow interrupted before Daphne could retort something else.

'Quidditch?' Daphne repeated, completely taken by surprise. 'You're not even on the school team!'

'I'm trying out this year.'

'When are the tryouts, by the way?' Blaise asked Draco.

'This Thursday, I think.'

'Cool,' Blaise grinned. 'See you there, Shadow.'

'You're trying out?'

'Yeah, why not? Probably a good de-stresser for OWLs.'

'Or it could just take up more of your precious time,' countered Daphne.

It ended up that both of them were right. Shadow and Blaise both made the Quidditch team as Chasers, to Draco's delight, and the sport became something that Shadow looked forward to everyday; unfortunately, it also made the obvious increase in homework load much harder to maintain. Often times at night, she, Draco, and Blaise would be seen struggling through their piles of essays and readings. Daphne had it slightly easier, but she, too, couldn't sleep as much as she had in the previous years.

'What'd you get?' Draco asked Shadow one day in potions, trying to sneak a glance at the grade on the top of her homework from the previous night.

Shadow put a casual arm over it so he wouldn't see. 'What did _you_ get?'

'I got "E"; that's Exceeding' Draco didn't hesitate to answer.

'Oh,' Shadow made a face. 'I got "A".'

'I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L,' Snape said as he finished passing back their homework. 'This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in the examination.'

'Acceptable is good,' Draco said, though he couldn't hide his pleasure at beating her. 'It's a pass, and we've barely started the year.'

Shadow slanted him a look. 'You're dying to tell me you beat me.'

'No!' Draco denied. 'Well, maybe a little bit.'

She laughed under her breath. Harry and Ron flashed a scowl her way from across the room.

'... I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get a "D",' Snape was saying.

Draco sniggered. 'Some people get a "D"? Ha!'

Shadow saw Harry's face flush red. She frowned. They hadn't talked at all since the school year started, but everyone had been muttering about his shouting match with Professor Umbridge and his apparent desperate and attention-seeking idiocy. His detentions must've been costing him hours of homework time.

After potions had finished, Shadow was throwing all her tools into her cauldron when Hermione approached her.

'You dropped your book,' Hermione said, placing a copy of _Advanced Potioneering _on Shadow's desk, and then she walked away without another word.

Shadow frowned at Hermione's retreating back for a moment, then flipped the book open. There was a note nestled between the front cover and the first page. She stuffed it into her pocket before Draco could see it.

'Professor Snape told me I was the only one who got an 'E',' Draco crowed as they walked out of the room. 'Even Granger only scraped an 'A'.'

Shadow rolled her eyes. 'Would it be more prudent for me to congratulate you or for me to ignore you?'

'Is that a rhetorical question?'

She snorted. 'Why do I even hang around you?'

'Because I'm devastatingly handsome and incredibly intelligent,' Draco replied without missing a beat.

Shadow fought the smile that threatened to creep onto her face. 'Uh huh.'

After making an excuse to duck into the library during lunch, Shadow pulled Hermione's note out again.

_Hey Shadow. Harry, Ron, and I are planning on starting a Defense Against the Dark Arts study group, since our current teacher can't teach us anything. Harry doesn't want me to invite you (he's still mad at the fact that you'll be on Malfoy's side for the rest of the year, though he knows that Dumbledore was the one who put you up to this) but I reckon you'll be a great addition. You know so many jinxes and counter-spells, and it would greatly benefit our entire group if you joined us. If you are willing, meet us at Hogs Head next Hogsmeade._

Shadow glared down at the piece of parchment. Harry was going to start a rebel Defensive Arts club right under Umbridge's nose? He was getting more and more reckless; perhaps Draco was right when he mocked the fine line Gryffindors danced on between bravery and stupidity. This was only going to lead to more trouble, she just knew it. She also knew that this was the exact thing Dumbledore would want her to oppose, just so the Ministry wouldn't condemn her too.

_I have to warn him,_ Shadow thought, though part of her wanted to leave the Headmaster in the dark for once. With a last rueful glance at the Great Hall, she turned and headed the other way to Dumbledore's office.

When Shadow had gotten past the gargoyles - after several guesses at different types of candy - she heard a steady stream of voices coming from Dumbledore's office. It sounded as if he was hosting at least twelve people in there, but then she recognized the sneering voice of Phineas Black; they were all portraits.

She pushed the door open without knocking. Dumbledore was standing with his back to her, fiddling with some of his spindly silver instruments. Many of the portraits froze at the sight of her, hastily pretending to be asleep, but some of them waved cheerily at her. Dumbledore turned to see her.

'Ah, hello Shadow. What have I done to warrant the pleasure of your visit?'

Wordlessly, Shadow handed Hermione's note over to Dumbledore. He read it over quickly.

'Thank you for bringing this to me,' he said after a moment. 'The information will be put to good use.'

'Are you going to stop them?' Shadow asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. 'No, I think not. Technically, they aren't doing anything wrong, though I suppose this is slightly more rebellious than the typical study group. I will send Mundungus to keep an eye on their meeting at Hog's Head nevertheless.'

'Okay.' Shadow shrugged. It wasn't any of her business anyways, she told herself.

'Now you should be downstairs having a nice lunch,' Dumbledore said. 'I thank you again for what you are doing.'

'No problem, Professor,' Shadow said wearily, finding her original anger quite deflated. 'I know it'll help somehow.'

S

'Come on, Draco!' Shadow bounded up the steps to the boys dormitory impatiently. 'Hurry up, or we'll be late for patrols again!'

'Hold on!' came the muffled reply.

She opened the door to find Draco half-changed out of his Quidditch robes.

'Huh, that's awkward,' Draco said, yanking his silver and green robes over his head and tossing it onto his bed. Shadow looked quickly away from his bare torso, her face warm. She focused instead on the layout of the dorm - it was pretty much the same as the girls', except that it had a lot more clothes strewn all over the floor.

'Alright, I'm decent,' Draco said, pulling his school robes on and pinning his prefect badge on.

Shadow returned her gaze to his face. 'I don't know where the stereotype of girls changing slower than boys came from,' she said as they ran down the steps. 'What took you so long?'

'I fell asleep.'

'You fell _asleep_?'

'Yeah,' he said as they rounded the corner at a half-run. 'I didn't go to bed until three last night.'

'It took you that long to finish your Transfiguration paper?'

'I also had Arithmancy to do,' he said sheepishly.

Shadow gave an odd cough that sounded like, 'Time management.'

'There you are,' Robert said irritably. His Head Boy badge gleamed in the torchlight as he waited for them in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed. Shadow's heart sank. She would have much preferred that Gemma had been here to catch the stragglers tonight. Not only was she much more lenient about tardiness, but she was also a fellow Slytherin.

'Everyone else has already left for patrols,' Robert continued. 'Ten points from Slytherin for your tardiness.'

'We had Quidditch practice!' Draco said in outrage.

'If you think that Quidditch deserves more of your time and attention, I suggest you take it up to the Headmaster so that he can appoint someone else as prefect,' Robert snapped back. 'But I don't know why you still bother with Quidditch anymore. Harry Potter beats you to the Snitch every single time, doesn't he?'

Draco turned pale with rage, speechless and wounded. Shadow was taken aback. Even for Robert, who had made clear his distaste of Draco since the very start, this was a bit below the belt.

'You two are patrolling the seventh floor of the East Wing this time,' Robert said with relish into their stunned silence. 'Don't let me catch you breaking any rules yourself.'

'You -' Draco lunged for Robert, but Shadow shoved him backwards. Punching the Head Boy in the face was not a good way to get into people's good books.

'That's right,' Robert's eyes glinted. 'The only reason you've been able to stay in line is because of your pretty girlfriend. But I know that sooner or later, you'll be a filthy Death Eater just like your father.' He switched his gaze to Shadow. 'You could do so much better than him, Shadow. I believe your brother when he says You-Know-Who is back, and that means you shouldn't be on _their _side. Your brother is the Boy Who Lived! What are you doing with a _Malfoy -_?'

'_Robert!_'

All three of them turned to see Gemma hurrying towards them, looking horrified.

'How can you say such things? You're a Head Boy, for Merlin's sake!'

Robert gave Draco one last withering look before storming away.

'I'm sorry,' Gemma said tiredly. 'He doesn't mean it. He's been like that all week, ever since he got the news of his sister's death. He's just been looking for someone to lash out at, and I guess you two were in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

'What happened to his sister?' Shadow asked.

'The Ministry says it was an accidental death, but we all know it's not. Stephanie was a very skilled Auror, and she was found dead in her house after what looked like a terrific fight.' Gemma gave a half-glance at Draco, who looked like he hadn't taken a single word in. 'The Dark Lord killed her, or at least his Death Eaters did; it was obvious.'

'Right,' Shadow said, feeling chilled to the bones. She hadn't expected Voldemort kill someone already when the Ministry was still sweetly ignoring his return.

Without a word, Draco turned stiffly and strode off on his own, fists clenched tightly by his side.

'Oh dear,' Gemma said. 'You better go after him, Shadow. I know about the Malfoys well enough to be certain that their damaged prides are extremely dangerous.'

'You have no idea,' Shadow muttered before running after Draco.

He had walked so quickly that Shadow didn't catch him until he had already reached the seventh floor. When she finally crested the last few steps, Draco was already there snarling at a couple of second years for talking too loudly.

'Draco,' Shadow said after the two girls had fled, close to tears. 'Calm down.'

Instead, he spun around and marched off again, scattering a crowd of first years on their way back from the library.

'Merlin's beard,' she swore and gave chase again.

'Draco!' she yelled as his robes whipped out of sight around the corner. 'I know you like getting things done quickly, but patrolling the hallways at this speed won't be much help!'

Ginny Weasley and her friends turned to stare at her as she hurried by. Belatedly, she realized that this corridor was very close to the Gryffindor Tower.

'Clear out,' she told Ginny sharply. 'Curfew starts in a few minutes.'

By the time she'd finally found Draco again, curfew had long been in effect and the corridors were deserted. He was standing there in front of the window, shoulders hunched as if warding off physical blows as he stared out at the Quidditch Pitch. The moonlight turned his blond hair platinum.

'Draco.' Shadow stopped just before she reached him. 'Don't take Robert's words to heart. He's wrong. We'll beat Harry next week - _you'll_ beat Harry next week, I know it. As for all that Death Eater nonsense, I wouldn't be here if I actually cared about that, would I?'

_But you do care, _a small voice said in the back of her head. _You're here partly only because of Dumbledore's orders._

Suddenly, Draco turned and came towards her so quickly that she didn't even have time to blink. His mouth crushed down hard on hers, and she promptly forgot what she was thinking about. He kissed her harshly and angrily, and kind of desperately too, but Shadow didn't mind. Somehow, they had reversed positions - Shadow had her back pressed against the wall now as Draco's hands trailed down her face to her neck. They were breaking about a million Prefect rules into pieces, but Shadow didn't care...

_'Stupefy!'_

Both of them whirled around just as the red blast hit Draco full in the face, sending him crashing back against the wall.

'Get away from my sister,' Harry snarled, wand pointed at Draco.

'Harry!' Shadow exclaimed in anger. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'What do _you_ think you were doing?' he shot back. 'Snogging in the middle of a hallway?'

'It was a perfectly deserted hallway until you showed up,' Shadow retorted. 'Besides it's past curfew! You're not even supposed to be here -'

Draco rose with a murderous look on his face. 'Petrificus Totalus!'

Shadow leaped forward and deflected the spell off her wand. 'Stop it, you idiots!' she yelled. 'Protego!'

The Shield Charm expanded between the two boys, forcing them apart. They both glared at her.

'You,' she pointed at Draco. 'Step back. And you,' she gave Harry a hard stare. 'I know you're my brother, but it's completely my business what I do when I'm not with you. I'm also going to have to deduct points because you're out past curfew _and_ you attacked a Prefect -'

'_Hem hem._'

The three of them whipped around to see Umbridge standing there, looking positively alarming in her shades of pink.

'What is going on here?' she asked sweetly.

Shadow opened her mouth then closed it. She and Umbridge hadn't exactly had direct interaction since the beginning of the year, if you didn't count classes. She knew that Umbridge watched her like a hawk since she was Harry's sister, but so far, she hadn't been able to trip her up for anything.

'Potter attacked me, Professor,' Draco growled, pointing at Harry. 'He tried to stun me.'

'I _did_ stun you,' Harry glared back.

'You are not permitted to use magic in the hallways, Mr Potter,' Umbridge said with a wide, ugly smile. 'And you are certainly not allowed to perform offensive spells on other students, much less a prefect. What with the fact that you are also out of bed after curfew, I see that that's three rules broken tonight, so I think you deserve another three days of detention, don't you Mr Potter?'

Harry didn't answer. The look he gave Umbridge was even more hateful than the ones he gave Snape.

'Tomorrow at seven o'clock then, Mr Potter,' Umbridge said with another sickly-sweet smile. She turned to Shadow. 'Would you mind coming with me, Ms Potter? I'm sure Mr Malfoy here can finish up his patrols without you.'

'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' Shadow said uneasily, lowering her wand so that the Shield Charm flickered out. She glanced back at Harry as she followed Umbridge, but he didn't even look at her. He was glaring at Draco again.

'Well, get back to your dorm, Potter,' she heard Draco drawl with malicious satisfaction. 'Or I'll deduct twenty points from Gryffindor.'

Shadow trailed Umbridge all the way back to her office, where she was blinded by a sudden world of pink and blinking kittens. She rubbed her eyes in alarm, thinking she might be hallucinating.

'Please have a seat, Ms Potter,' Umbridge said, pointing a stubby finger at the chair opposite her desk.

Shadow sat.

'Now,' Umbridge cleared her throat after she had seated herself as well in her pink throne. 'I want to commend you for your responsible actions back there in the hallway. I know that punishing your own brother isn't the most exciting experience, but both you and I know what a troublesome student your brother is, don't we?' She gave a tinkling laugh that caused the hair on the back of Shadow's neck to stand on end.

'At first, I must say I was rather worried you would follow in your brother's footsteps,' Umbridge continued after Shadow didn't reply. 'You see, there had been a nasty rumor about how you had supported your brother's attention-seeking stories back when he first started them, but now I am confident you are wiser than he is.'

Shadow waited, wondering about the point of this conversation.

'I couldn't help but notice you are quite close to Mr Malfoy and Ms Greengrass, and I am very assured by your good choice of companions.' Umbridge peered at her over the rim of a pink teacup, this time clearly waiting for a response.

'Yeah,' Shadow said robotically. 'Daphne and I have been great friends since I came to Hogwarts, and I spent a couple of summers at Draco's house.'

'So you know Draco's parents, then?' Umbridge asked, sounding more and more approving.

'Yes, Draco's father told me about you.' He totally hadn't, but Shadow had heard Draco bragging about how close Umbridge and Lucius were so many times that she knew it was a good weapon to wield.

Umbridge's eyes gleamed and she let out a girlish laugh. 'Did he? I have always quite admired Lucius.'

'Professor?' Shadow interrupted with a touch of impatience. 'Can I go back to finish my patrol with Draco now?'

'Oh, of course,' Umbridge said. 'But first, can you do me a favor and make me a promise?'

_No._ 'What would you like me to promise, professor?'

'Aid me and the Ministry in its quest to quell the troublemakers at Hogwarts. Promise me you'll report to me any sort of... activities that are not Ministry-approved, will you?'

Shadow stared into Umbridge's flat, toad-like eyes. _She knows_, she realized. _She knows what Harry is planning with the DA group._

With a sick feeling in her stomach, she said, 'I promise.'

S

'Bletchley,' Shadow said angrily the moment she saw the Slytherin Keeper sitting at the dinner table. 'What is this I'm hearing about you jinxing Alicia Spinnet?'

Miles Bletchley looked up and gave a sneering smile. 'I have no idea what you're talking about, love. You heard what Professor Snape said, Spinnet must have attempted the Hair-thickening Charm on herself.'

Shadow snorted in disbelief and glared at the older boy. 'This has got to change. What's the value of victory if we use such deceitful ways to gain it? The Slytherin House could use some honor.'

'Don't hold your breath, love. If you're waiting for honor, you should've gone to the noble Griffindors instead.' He sneered again.

'Don't mind him,' Graham Montague told her as he bypassed her to take the seat opposite Bletchley. 'He's always sour before a match.'

Shadow's stomach clenched at the reminder. The Slytherin match against Gryffindor was tomorrow, an event highly anticipated by all the students, since it had been so long since they'd held the Quidditch Cup. She was fairly certain they stood a chance against the Gryffindors though. Zabini and Montague were good Chaser partners, and Bletchley was a good Keeper, despite his foul temper. Crabbe and Goyle's size and strength made them perfect Beaters, and they always listened to what Draco had to say, which was often a good thing, since on their own they would have been useless. Draco himself had also improved a lot this year - perhaps he'd never be as naturally-talented or as fast as Harry, but his skill was there.

Besides, Shadow had also heard many tales of Ron's terrible goal-keeping skills from Draco. Hopefully, that weakness in the Gryffindor team would lead to their downfall.

She sat down next to Daphne and was halfway through her dinner when a great shout of laughter further down the Slytherin table made her look up. Draco had arrived, and he was showing the rest of the Quidditch team something he'd written on a parchment paper. Hovering at his shoulder was Pansy, looking very pleased with herself.

The volume of the laughter increased the farther down the table the paper was passed. When it finally reached Shadow's hands, some of the Slytherins had started humming in unison.

_Weasley is our King,_ the title read.

With an unpleasant feeling that this could mean nothing nice, Shadow scanned the rest of the lyrics.

'What is it?' Daphne asked curiously.

'Slytherin underhand play.' Shadow scowled and shoved the paper in her hands. Apparently justice and good sportsmanship didn't exist in her House.

'Oh,' Daphne said after she'd finished. She gave a shrug and passed the paper to Blaise. 'Haven't you already gotten used to it?'

'Yeah, but not when _I'm_ going to be the one playing.'

The rest of the Slytherin table had already began singing the song under their breaths, causing many heads to turn curiously. Shadow looked down the table to meet Draco's eyes. He was watching her steadily, his gaze unapologizing. She held it for several heartbeats, then glanced away. _I can't object, _she thought bitterly, _because I'm supposed to be on their team in more ways than one. But do I really want to win like this?_

When they had all returned to the common room, it got even worse. Draco and Pansy began handing out crown-shaped badges, aided by Crabbe and Goyle. Soon, everyone was sniggering or singing the "Weasley is Our King" song.

'Draco,' Shadow said as he plopped down beside her on the sofa with a self-satisfied smirk. 'Do you ever feel bad bullying other people?'

That wiped the smirk off his face. He sat up and stared at her, as if he couldn't decide whether or not he should take the question seriously, since she had asked it in such a blunt way.

'No,' he said shortly. 'Because they always deserve it.'

Shadow didn't talk to him for the rest of the evening.

When she woke up the next day though, her anger and frustration had all turned into nervousness.

_This is stupid, _she thought. _It's just a game. I shouldn't be scared of it._

But she was quite unable to force down her breakfast after she sat down next to an equally queasy-looking Blaise.

'Eat some breakfast,' Daphne coaxed, pushing a plate of waffles over to Blaise and Shadow. 'Both of you. Come on, you'll need the fuel later.'

'Don't remind me of later,' Blaise groaned.

'Where's Draco?' Shadow asked.

'I think he just went straight down the the pitch,' Daphne said. 'He was here super early, but he couldn't eat either, so he just left.'

A huge lion roar made everybody jump. Shadow swiveled in her seat to see Luna Lovegood drift into the Grand Hall, sporting a hat that had a life-sized lion head on it. She made her way to where Harry and Ron were both gaping at the hat and greeted them animatedly.

Shadow's gaze lingered a second too long. Harry looked up and saw her, and they both looked away as if they had been burned. She dropped her eyes to her lap, her stomach now positively writhing with acid.

She was playing against Gryffindor.

She was playing against Harry.

'I think I'm going to go down early as well,' Shadow pushed her plate away hastily and fled before Daphne had even opened her mouth.

Draco was already in his Quidditch robes when she reached the changing room. He sat there staring at the floor, looking so pale that Shadow worried he was going to faint. The last of her anger at him from last night faded away. Beside him, his Nimbus 2001 gleamed and winked.

Shadow set her own broom down beside his and ducked behind a curtain to change. When she came out a few minutes later though, Draco hadn't moved a single bit.

'Hey.' Shadow crouched in front of him until they were eye-level, pushing away her own nervousness in face of Draco's. She reached out and held his face in her hands. 'Look at me.'

Draco reluctantly dragged his gaze up from the floor and Shadow kissed him fiercely. For a moment he seemed stunned, then he responded with equal vigor. When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing rather hard.

'I want you to know,' Shadow said in a low voice, her face still inches away from his, 'That I am proud of you.'

Draco's silver eyes softened with gratitude, and they probably would have kissed again had Montague and Bletchley not chosen this exact moment to walk into the changing rooms.

Shadow let her hands fall away from Draco's face, but neither of them commented on their close proximity. She took Draco's hand firmly and sat beside him as they waited for the rest of the team to come down. They could hear hundreds of footsteps mounting the banked benches of the spectators' stands. Some people were already singing "Weasley is Our King", and when Montague offered her a silver crown-shaped badge, she took it silently and pinned it onto her robes as well. They were a team, and today Shadow wouldn't let anything get into the way of that.

When Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise finished changing, Montague rose and said, 'It's time. Let's go, and good luck everyone.'

Shadow felt her stomach clench in anxiety as she filed out after the boys, shouldering her broom. A roar of sound greeted them, along with the dazzling sky. Madam Hooch was waiting for them in the middle of the pitch. The Gryffindor team was making their way over from the other side of the pitch as well.

Shadow watched as the sight of the rival team seemed to reinvigorate Draco. He drew himself taller, his head tilted back arrogantly as the Gryffindors lined up opposite them. She saw him give a Harry a smirk, sunlight gleaming on his white-blond head as he tapped the crown-shaped badge on his chest.

'Captains, shake hands,' ordered Madam Hooch, as Johnson and Montague reached each other. 'Mount your brooms...'

The whistle blew and the balls were released. Fourteen players shot upwards. Shadow streaked for the Quaffle, dodging a bludger on the way, but Angelina Johnson snatched it right from under her nose.

'And it's Johnson - Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me -'

'JORDAN!' yelled Professor McGonagall.

'- just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest - and she's ducked Warrington, passed Zabini and - oh, intercepted by Potter... I mean the girl Potter. Harry Potter's sister. Gah, this'll get confusing. She's passed it to Montague, who's passed it to Zabini. Zabini heading back up the pitch and - nice Bludger there from George Weasley, Zabini drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell of Gryffindor, Bell reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away -'

Shadow tore off after the brunette girl and swerved in front of her just as she tried to pass to Johnson. With the Quaffle back in hand, she raced for the other end of the pitch.

'Potter's got a bit of skill there. She dodges Johnson, avoids a Bludger - so close, Fred - passes to Zabini, who then passes it back to her, and she's zig-zagging between Spinnet and Bell -'

Shadow streaked towards Ron, Quaffle tucked safely in the crook of her arm. She saw his face pale visibly as he saw who she was, and up above him, Harry abandoned his search for the Snitch momentarily to watch. She was out of Bludger range now with only Ron in front of her...

'- so it's the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper Weasley, brother of Beaters Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team - come on Ron!'

Below her, a great swell of song rose from the Slytherin stands below, buoying Shadow as she feinted to one side and tossed the Quaffle with all her might. Ron dived wildly in front of the hoop, his arms wide, but the Quaffle soared right between them through the central hoop.

'Slytherin scores!' Lee shouted over the screams of delight. 'So that's ten-nil to Slytherin - bad luck, Ron.' Shadow could barely hear him over the deafening choruses of "Weasley is Our King".

She soared past Harry to keep up with Katie Bell as she tanked up the pitch. He was stationary in the air, watching the progress of the match with a sort of sick expression.

'Harry, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' she heard Johnson scream. 'GET GOING!'

Taking advantage of the Gryffindor Captain's momentary distraction, Shadow cut between the her and Bell and snatched the Quaffle out of Bell's hands.

'- and it's Potter again,' bellowed Lee, 'who passes to Zabini, Zabini's off past Spinnet, come on now, Angelina, you can take him - turns out you can't - but nice Bludger from Fred Weasley, I mean George Weasley, oh, who cares, one of them anyway, and Zabini drops the Quaffle and Katie Bell - er - drops it too - so that's Montague with the Quaffle. Slytherin Captain Montague takes the Quaffle and he's off up the pitch. Come on now, Gryffindor, block him!'

Shadow marked Spinnet furiously as the other girl tried to get past her to Montague.

'Get out of it, Potter,' Spinnet snarled in frustration as Shadow forced her to turn around yet again.

There was a sudden terrible groan from the Gryffindor end, coupled with fresh screams and applause from the Slytherins. Shadow looked back to see Montague flying back towards them, fist pumped in the air.

It seemed as if the Slytherin team could do no wrong today. They scored again and again, each one of Ron's saves growing more and more wild. They were now so far ahead of the Gryffindors that if Harry caught the Snitch now, they'd only be ten points behind.

_Come on,_ Shadow thought as she tore down the pitch once again with a Quaffle tucked in her arm. _One more goal, and the pressure on Draco will lessen greatly..._

Unfortunately, bludger suddenly appeared out of nowhere and slammed into her side. Shadow let out a yelp of pain and dropped the Quaffle, careening out of control and hanging on to her broom for dear life. By the time she'd righted herself, Gryffindor was back in possession again.

She streaked after Spinnet, but then saw something that made her heart stop.

'Draco!' she screamed, but he was already hurtling out of the sky towards the Snitch, a silver and green blur lying flat on his broom. Harry was ahead of him, having dived first, and Shadow saw the Golden Snitch as well, hovering a few feet from the ground at the Slytherin end of the pitch.

He wasn't going to make it. Harry had a Firebolt. He had a head start...

Just then, two bludgers hit Harry squarely in the small of his back and he flew forwards off his broom. Shadow looked around to see Crabbe and Goyle finishing their swings. It was over in two seconds. Draco streaked past Harry and snatched the Snitch out of the air, pulling up from his dive with a look of glorious triumph.

'YES!' Shadow cried, zooming over to Draco as he landed gracefully. 'Yes!'

She tackled him with a hug, knocking them both into the sand. A moment later, the rest of the team was there too, cheering and thumping Draco on the back. Draco laughed, looking quite overwhelmed. The snitch fluttered in his grasp, tickling Shadow's neck as she hugged him again. And then Pansy and Tracey were there, shrieking and screaming for joy as they jumped on him.

Releasing Draco, Shadow turned to see Daphne struggling to break away from the stream of students to reach them. 'Come on,' she told Blaise, and the two of them made their way over to her.

'We won! We won!' Daphne beamed at them, hugging both at once. 'And almost by three hundred points too!'

Blaise grinned. 'Three guesses who's going to win the Quidditch Cup this year.'

Daphne slapped him on the arm. 'Don't get arrogant. You might be reasonable at Chasing, but Shadow's a lot better than you.'

'That doesn't mean we won't win the Cup,' Blaise said, wounded.

'Yeah, but -' Daphne's eyes widened as she looked at something over Shadow's shoulder. 'Oh no.'

Shadow whirled around. The shouts of joy had turned into shouts of anger and shock. At first, she couldn't pinpoint the cause. Then, to her horror, she saw George Weasley and Harry pummeling someone. Someone with white-blond hair.

'Draco!' she yelled, sprinting across the pitch.

Madam Hooch beat her to it though. '_Impendimenta!_' the referee shrieked, blasting Harry and George away from Draco.

'What do you think you're doing?' she screamed at the two boys as Shadow skidded to a halt beside Draco. He was doubled-over, clutching his stomach, face contorted in pain. Dimly, Shadow was aware that both Harry and George were also sporting swollen lips, and that Fred Weasley was still being forcibly restrained by the three Gryffindor Chasers.

'Draco,' Shadow said, 'Let me see how badly you're hurt.'

'I'm alright.' His voice came out thick because of the amount of blood streaming from his nose.

'I've never seen behavior like it!' Madam Hooch was shouting. 'Back up the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! _Now!_'

Draco smirked through a painful grimace. '_They_ won't be alright though.'

Shadow stared down at him, at the blood running down his pale face. 'Why'd they attack you?'

'Sore losers.' Draco shrugged, then winced.

Shadow gave him an icy look. 'You know that I know Harry better than that. You provoked them, didn't you?'

Draco wiped some of the blood off his face. 'I might have gloated a bit.'

Shadow's glare was lost on him when Madam Hooch came over, followed by Pansy and Tracy. Behind them, the rest of the Slytherin team were howling with laughter, leering as Harry and George stormed off the Quidditch pitch to where Professor McGonagall was waiting with a livid expression.

'Draco, are you okay?' Pansy gasped.

'Come on,' Madam Hooch helped Draco to his feet. 'Let's get you up to the Hospital Wing.'

'I'll take him up there,' Pansy volunteered, followed quickly by Tracy.

Draco clutched at his side, his face turning a little green. 'I'm okay,' he bit out. 'Just a broken rib.'

'Oh no,' Tracy covered her mouth in sympathy.

'Nothing Madam Pomfrey can't fix,' Madam Hooch said briskly. 'Help him back to the castle now, girls.'

Shadow watched as they helped Draco limp back to the castle, passing the horror-stricken Gryffindor team.

She didn't accompany them.


	9. Chapter 9: Fifth Year (continued)

'He's coming over,' Daphne said under her breath. 'Yep, he's coming over. Oh, no, he's changed his mind. Wait, he changed his mind again. Nope, nevermind, he's gone to sit next to Crabbe and Goyle.'

Shadow glanced up from her Charms essay to see Daphne looking at where Draco dithered by the entrance of the library. She blew out a half-irritated breath and returned to digging up her Charms textbook. Christmas had come and gone - she and Daphne had had a splendid time exploring the hidden passages of the castle together - and she already had three essays to complete on the second day back.

'You scare him too much,' Daphne said in amusement. 'When your face turns all cold and icy, no one dares to talk to you.'

'You do,' Shadow said without looking up.

'Yeah, well, that face has never been directed _at_ me, has it?'

'I suppose not.'

After Harry, Fred, and George had received a lifelong ban from Quidditch, Shadow hadn't talked to Draco. She'd ignored all his letters he'd written to her from Switzerland over the Christmas break and she had opted to sit beside Daphne for the rest of her classes. He had completely ruined their Quidditch victory; they'd already won the game, why had Draco felt the need to insult and antagonize the Gryffindors? The rest of the team disagreed though. They had been in such fine spirits that Shadow had almost resigned from the team.

Shadow knew that she'd have to get over her anger eventually, before Dumbledore noticed her distance with her Slytherin housemates. Luckily though, a distraction came in the form of Harry right before Christmas. A couple of weeks before school actually ended, Harry and all the Weasley children had disappeared from school, and news had leaked out that Mr Weasley was in St. Mungo's, severely injured. Dumbledore had told her very briefly what had happened, but he hadn't elaborated and Shadow hadn't asked. Her newfound role in this game meant that she wasn't supposed to care what happened to the Order anymore.

'When are you planning to talk to him?'

Shadow shrugged.

Just then then library door was pushed open again and Harry staggered in, his face completely white, making his scar more prominent than ever. Shadow watched him head towards the corner table Hermione and Ron were seated around. He seemed alright, though visibly shaken, as he waved an impatient hand at Hermione's concerned inquiry and began talking quickly.

Shadow's quill paused as she strained to hear their whispered conversation. She couldn't make heads or tails of it, but more than once she heard the term 'Department of Mysteries'. She frowned. The only other time she'd ever heard about that was when she'd done her own snooping in Dumbledore's office. What she'd overheard hadn't made much sense at that time, but she understood that the Order was guarding something in the Department of Mysteries, guarding it from Voldemort.

Harry glanced up and saw her looking. He hesitated for a moment, then stood and made his way towards her. On the other side of the library, Shadow saw Draco jerk his head up to watch.

'Shadow,' Harry said in a low voice, casting an uneasy look over at Daphne. 'I need to talk to you.'

Now it was Shadow's turn to hesitate. _One talk with Harry shouldn't make everyone automatically assume I'm against the Slytherins again, _she decided.

'I'll be back,' she told Daphne, and she followed Harry out the library.

Once they were alone, they faced each other rather uneasily. They hadn't had a proper conversation for ages, and it suddenly seemed awkward. The Quidditch game surfaced in Shadow's mind again.

'What did you want to talk about?' Shadow asked. 'Is Mr Weasley okay?'

'What? Oh yeah, he's fine. Completely recovered. I actually wanted to ask you for help.'

'Help?' Shadow asked warily. 'If this is about the illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts group you set up behind Umbridge's back, I want no part in it.'

A brief look of irritation flashed past Harry's face. 'Of course Hermione told you about it. But no, it's not that. You see, Snape's giving me Occlumency lessons every Monday. The first one was today, and it was a complete disaster.'

'You want advice on Occlumency?' Shadow asked in surprise. 'It's not very hard. You just have to clear yourself of emotion and think of absolutely nothing.'

Harry glared at her. 'I _know_ that, but it's easier said than done! Besides, Snape -'

Suddenly, he clapped a hand to his scar, and an intense look of pain twisted his features. Shadow stepped backwards in alarm, and the next second Harry had collapsed on the floor, hands clutching his forehead.

'Harry!'

He was shuddering violently, and for a moment, Shadow thought he was having a fit, but then she recognized the low wheezing sounds her brother was emitting. Harry was laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder, insane and maniacal. Concern and fear battled inside Shadow, and she did the only thing she could think of. She hit him in the face.

The wild laughter was punctuated with a cry of pain, and Harry's eyes flew open.

'What the -? Harry!' Ron came running over. 'What happened?'

'I... dunno...' Harry gasped, sitting up. 'He's really happy... really happy...'

'You-Know-Who is?'

'Something good's happened,' mumbled Harry. 'Something he's been hoping for.'

Shadow stared at her brother in shock. He could read Voldemort's emotions? What other kind of burdens of Harry did she not know of? If the Daily Prophet got wind of this, they'd go crazy.

'You need to go to bed,' Shadow said, firmly pushing her thoughts out of her head. 'Occlumency seems to drain you more than it does to normal people. You'll feel better in the morning.'

Ron helped Harry to his feet, who was looking like he was trying not to be sick. 'You don't believe me, don't you?' Harry asked in a low voice, looking at Shadow. 'You think I've gone mad.'

'I believe you,' Shadow said, feeling insulted. 'I have never _not_ believed you, and I've never thought you mad, but if you feel better thinking that even your own sister hates you, then go ahead!' She walked away.

S

The following months moved by at an alarmingly ruthless pace. Ten Death Eaters broke out from Azkaban (which, Shadow figured, was why Voldemort had been so happy), Harry gave an interview to the Quibbler, Professor Trelawney got sacked, Harry's DA group got caught, Umbridge replaced Dumbledore as Headmistress, and the Weasley twins left Hogwarts.

'You must continue your role even after my departure,' Dumbledore had told her. 'Only contact me if information of great urgency reaches your ears, but don't use owl post. Dolores will be watching that.'

Shadow stood on the arch of wooden bridge that overlooked the Quidditch pitch and the lake, watching the last dying rays of the sun fight against the spreading deep indigo that stained the sky. Though the warm spring breeze swirled around her and played with strands of her hair, she felt cold and her heart felt tired. For so many months, she had stood by and watched silently as the Ministry destroyed Hogwarts at its heart. For so many months, she had distanced herself from Harry and anything associated with the Order. It was all as Dumbledore had wanted. She was now essentially a master of deception. She'd learned to keep cold and aloof, to allow an iciness to seal over her heart. Dumbledore had wanted a spy deep within the trust of the Ministry and the Death Eaters, and now he had it.

But Shadow was exhausted. Not physically, though the massive piles of fifth year homework had taken a toll on her sleep, but mentally and emotionally she felt stretched thin as the first powdered layer of snow. She did not feel angry or bitter that she had to do this, no, she was just tired. All she wanted to do was curl up and ignore everyone.

Sometimes, she felt as if Draco could sense the unhappiness behind her facade. The week before the OWLs started, he'd pulled her to one side.

'Shadow,' he had began, uncharacteristically hesitant. 'Are you alright?'

'Of course.' The reply had been automatic. She'd learned long ago that among Slytherins, one could not show weakness.

He'd given her a searching look, his gray eyes not frozen with arrogance for once. It had been in that moment that Shadow had been reminded why she liked this guy so much. Things between them had kind of crumbled away after the Quidditch match, and their relationship had come to a standstill, either side too proud to relent. They'd maintained good friends though, of which Shadow was glad.

'It's just... you've changed a lot since last year, but you don't seem very happy about it. I've seen you when you thought no one was looking. It.. hurts to see you like that.' Draco's gentleness had surprised her. She had thought he'd been too busy rejoicing in the trouble Umbridge had caused both Dumbledore and Harry.

'I'm just nervous for the exams,' she'd told him, and he had reluctantly dropped the topic.

The OWLs had actually provided an excellent distraction for her - all she had to do was bury herself amidst her studying. In fact, she'd studied so much that she was fairly certain she'd achieved good results for most her exams. There were just two more left - Astronomy tonight and History of Magic tomorrow.

'Hey Shadow, are you planning on rejoining civilization anytime soon?'

She looked up to see Daphne picking her way towards. Dinner must've ended.

'Not if I can help it,' she replied, but she picked up her bag and met Daphne by the end of the bridge anyways.

'I thought you might say that. We've still got a couple of hours before the exam to look at the constellation charts and I brought them with me just in case you were sick of the common room.'

'Did you really?' Shadow smiled. Daphne knew her too well. 'Excellent.'

When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock after quizzing each other lying in the grass, they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still. The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight and there was a slight chill in the air. Shadow set up her telescope between Draco and Daphne and, when Professor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blank star-chart they had been given.

She had just finished naming Jupiter's last moon and was about to check over her chart when a distant roar echoed through the darkness right to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Everyone jerked their heads from behind their telescopes. It had come from the direction of Hagrid's cabin.

'Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls,' Professor Tofty said with a dry cough.

Shadow returned to her test, but she'd only managed to look over one section when a loud bang sliced through the air. Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all whom judging by the tiny threats of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.

'No!' Hermione cried from the far side of the room.

Another angry roar from Hagrid drowned out Professor Tofty's protest. It was the first time any of them had seen Hagrid angry, and it was fearsome sight to behold. With each swipe of his massive hands, he knocked a wizard out cold.

'How come the spells keep deflecting off him?' Daphne asked, half out of her seat.

'Giant blood,' Draco replied, looking like he didn't know whether to be appalled or afraid.

'That retarded woman,' Shadow glared down at Umbridge's squat form as she waved wildly for her helpers to stun Hagrid. 'This isn't how you sack a teacher!'

Suddenly more light spilled out onto the dark lawn as the front doors of the castles swung open. A single long black shadow rippled across the lawn as someone sprinted towards the battle besides Hagrid's cabin.

'How dare you!' the figure shouted as she ran. 'How _dare_ you!'

'It's McGonagall!' Now Shadow was out of her seat as well.

'Leave him alone! _Alone, _I say!' Professor McGonagall shouted. 'On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such -'

Screams rose up from the Gryffindor side of the examination. Daphne clapped a hand to her mouth. The figures around the cabin had shot no fewer that four Stunners at Professor McGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her; for a moment she looked luminous and glowed an eerie red, then she lifted right off her feet, landed hard on her back, and moved no more.

'Galloping gargoyles!' shrieked Professor Tofty, all discipline now forgotten. 'Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!'

'Professor McGonagall!' Shadow had wrenched a telescope out of her way, wand half out of her pocket, before Draco yanked her back.

'There's nothing you can do,' he murmured, locking her arms tightly against her torso. Below them, Hagrid was bellowing so loudly that lights in the castle were flickering back on. They all watched breathlessly as he dispatched the last person with a blow to the head and then ran full-pelt towards the distant gates, disappearing into the darkness.

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone stared into the grounds, then Professor Tofty said feebly, 'Uhm, five minutes left.'

Shadow shrugged Draco's hands off and returned to her seat. _Control, _she thought as she stared down at her completed exam. _Hagrid meant nothing to you anyways._

When the exam finally ended, Shadow was the first one out. She dodged through the crowd as everyone started babbling about what had just happened and headed for the Slytherin dorms.

She'd tell Dumbledore what had happened, and after that, it was no longer her business.

S

The sound of quills scratching feverishly on parchment echoed all around Shadow as she sat in the Great Hall, watching the giant hour-glass on the desk beside Professor Marchbanks slowly trickle by. She'd only one question left to answer on her exam, but her focus kept drifting in and out, a testimony to how badly she'd slept last night. She was, however, not as bad as Harry was, who seemed to have dozed off in the middle of the exam. Since they were seated in alphabetical order, Shadow had known the exact moment when Harry's head had hit the desk and heard the soft snores that emanated from the seat behind.

_Focus._ Why had the warlocks of Liechenstein refused to join the International Confederation of Wizards?

With agonizing effort, Shadow picked up her quill and began to write an answer, her notes swimming to the front of her memory. She really considered complaining to the Ministry about scheduling a morning exam back to back with the Astronomy midnight exam. Had these wizards not heard of what sleep deprivation could do to one's memory?

'NOOOOOO!'

Shadow jumped, blotting her answer with a huge splatter of ink, and whirled around to find that Harry had fallen out of his seat. He was clutching his scar, his eyes looking horrified and panicked. Everyone craned their necks, confused and irritated comments overlapping each other.

'Mr. Potter whatever is the matter?' Professor Tofty hurried over.

'What? No.. nothing. I'm alright, sir...' Harry stammered, but he still looked terrified, swinging his gaze everywhere as if he were looking for someone. His eyes locked on Shadow.

_Sirius, _he mouthed, even as she stared.

'Perhaps you should go to the Hospital Wing and have a lie down,' Professor Tofty helped him to his feet and began leading him out of the Entrance Hall. Harry threw one last desperate look at Shadow before allowing the doors to swing shut behind him.

At once, the Great Hall broke into mutterings, but Professor Marchbanks quickly shushed them all. 'Only ten minutes left of the exam, everybody!'

Shadow scribbled something on her last question, but in reality, she was puzzling over Harry's actions. What about Sirius? Judging from his terrified expression, Harry hadn't just had a bad dream. Perhaps he'd had another one of those visions, like he did with Mr. Weasley... But even so, how did Sirius come in? Dumbledore had explicitly instructed Sirius not to leave the house...

When the bell finally rang, Shadow was already halfway out of her seat. There was a great surge of noise as everyone filed out of the examination, Hermione and Ron being at the head of the crowd in their anxiety to get to Harry. Shadow wasn't going to find her brother though, she had a feeling something much bigger was at play.

'Shadow, do you know what happened?' Draco shouldered his way through a knot of Ravenclaws to get to her.

'Harry fell asleep and had a nightmare,' she said as succinctly as possible. 'Draco, if Umbridge summons her Inquisitorial Squad today, make sure you tell me okay?'

Draco squinted. 'Why?'

'I don't know,' Shadow said uneasily. 'Something's not right.'

Dinner passed by with a cheerful air as the fifth years celebrated the end of their exams. Back in the common rooms, the celebrations continued with stolen butterbeer from the kitchens and loud games of exploding snap. In fact, Shadow was in the midst of placing the final card on her house of cards when Draco tapped her on the shoulder.

'Umbridge has called for the Inquisitorial Squad to come up to her office. Apparently Potter and his gang were caught trying to use her fireplace to talk to someone.'

'_What?_' The cards collapsed and everyone dived out of the way as they exploded, singing off the eyebrows of the nearest people. Fortunately, Draco had pulled Shadow out of the way in time. 'Her fireplace?'

'Yeah. I don't know anything besides that, but you could always go up to her office and see for yourself. You've been official appointed as an Inquisitor anyways, you just don't bother to show up or do your duties half the time.' Nothing about Draco's tone was patronizing; he knew perfectly well Shadow's opinion of their Headmistress.

Shadow stood, brushing ashes off her robes. 'No, I don't want to see her. You should head up if you don't want to be late.'

Draco nodded, summoned Crabbe and Goyle with a flick of his hands, and then disappeared out the dungeons. It took Shadow several moments of rooted indecision before she followed him out as well, though instead of heading for Umbridge's office, she went for the Hospital WIng.

'Madam Pomfrey,' Shadow said the moment she spotted the patron busily clinking around with potions and salves. 'May I have a word with Professor McGonagall?'

Madam Pomfrey turned around, looking surprised and slightly suspicious. 'Professor McGonagall? Your brother was just in here before dinner to ask the exact same thing. Unfortunately, she was just sent to St. Mungo's... four stunners to the chest at her age... it's lucky she survived.'

'Oh.' This threw a wrench in Shadow's gears. 'Harry was here?'

'Yes. He seemed very frantic to find her.'

The foreboding feeling Shadow had harbored since the end of the exams intensified. 'Alright, thank you.' She turned away, feeling slightly anxious. Harry was in trouble, but not because of any ordinary mischief. There was something wrong. He'd been trying to contact someone, trying to find McGonagall when he should have been celebrating the end of exams just like everyone else. Why?

With Dumbledore and McGonagall gone, there was only one person left who was in the Order. Before she'd even arrived at this conclusion, her feet had already carried her to the staff room.

'Professor Snape?' Shadow knocked and pushed the door open. It was all deserted except for one teacher, sitting in a shadowed corner of the room. The frown on Snape's face deepened at the sight of her.

'Yes?' he asked, rising to his feet.

'I think Harry needs your help, sir.' Shadow winced internally the moment the words came out. Perhaps that hadn't been the best way to get Snape interested. 'Something's not right. He had a... vision regarding Sirius. He's been asking for Professor McGonagall, and now he's been caught trying to use Umbridge's fireplace to contact someone.'

'A vision?' Snape asked sharply. 'Like the one he had about Mr Weasley?'

'I'm not sure. He started yelling and clutching at his scar in the middle of our History of Magic exam and when they pulled him away, he mouthed Sirius's name at me.'

Snape's eyes slitted. 'Are you sure he wasn't just trying to get out of the exams?' he asked, derision coloring his voice.

'No, sir,' Shadow said with as much patience as she could muster. 'He looked very panicked.'

After several long moments of contemplation, Snape finally gave a stiff jerk of the head. 'Very well, I will go to the Headmistress's office and see what I can do. Wait for me here.' And with a flap of his dark robes, he left the room.

Shadow paced the room, feeling too restless to sit and wait. She wasn't even sure why she was so panicked.

After what she estimated was around ten minutes, the door opened again and Snape strode in, his face unreadable. He said not a word in face of Shadow's questioning look and began rummaging through a desk. She watched, mouth half open to ask him what had happened, as he pulled out a rectangular mirror from the bottom of the drawers and tapped a wand on the surface, making it ripple.

'Sirius Black,' he murmured to it, stilling Shadow's impatient movements. The mirror grew cloudy for a moment, then cleared to reveal a dusty attic of someplace Shadow had never been before - she could only assume it was the headquarters of the Order - in the middle of which sat a hippogriff.

She glanced in bewilderment at Snape, wondering if the spell had somehow gone awry, before a man stepped out from behind the hippogriff.

'Snape?' Sirius's tone was half-surprised and half-disdainful. 'What do you want?'

Snape was silent for a moment, then said, 'Nothing. I have discovered all that I need to know.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' Sirius growled.

Snape looked up briefly at Shadow. 'It appears that Potter fell asleep during an exam and saw Voldemort torturing you in the Department of Mysteries. He thinks it's like the vision he saw with Mr Weasley.'

Sirius stared at Snape through the mirror. 'I'm right here though!'

Snape's lip curled. 'Clearly. Either it was just a nightmare, or Voldemort purposefully planted that vision in his mind.'

'Professor!' Shadow interrupted, having caught sight of something happening outside. 'They're heading into the Forbidden Forest!'

Snape frowned and hastened to where she stood beside the window. 'What in the name of Merlin is that foolish girl doing?' he muttered, watching as Hermione led Umbridge and Harry towards the woods.

'What?' came Sirius's frustrated voice from the mirror. 'What's going on?'

'Nothing,' Snape replied smoothly. 'I will tell Potter he is mistaken. Have a pleasant evening, Black.' With one last sneer, he waved his hand across the mirror and Sirius disappeared.

'Shadow,' he said, turning towards her. 'You may return to the dormitories now. I can handle it from here.'

'Have you told Professor Dumbledore yet?'

He looked up from where he'd gone to stash away the mirror. 'You have not yet?'

'Er, no,' she tried not to look sheepish. 'I, uh, broke my mirror.' Last night. In a fit of irritation.

Snape said nothing, though the flat look he gave her was clearly unimpressed. 'I will inform him,' he said tersely. 'You may go.'

Trying not to feel slightly indignant at his dismissal, Shadow left Snape to gaze outside the windows. Back in the common rooms, Shadow found Milliscent Bulstrode telling everyone what had transpired in Umbridge's office. Apparently Harry Potter had been trying to contact Dumbledore to tell him that his secret weapon was ready now. A secret weapon stashed in the Forbidden Forest.

_Stalling for time_, Shadow understood Hermione's actions now. _But time for what?_

'You missed all the drama,' Draco commented, striding up to her once she'd finished listening to Milliscent. 'Umbridge wanted to use the Cruciatus Curse on your brother.'

'_What?_' Shadow stopped dead. 'The _Cruciatus Curse_? That's illegal!'

'Apparently she ordered the dementor attacks on him last year too,' Draco said, looking slightly disturbed. 'Perhaps you were right - she's a bit extreme.'

Shadow sat down hard.

'Shadow,' he knelt down beside her. 'Perhaps this is the wrong time to bring it up... but I never apologized for provoking your brother and the Weasleys during our match against Gryffindor.' Draco paused, as if gauging her reaction, then continued. 'It's just... you seem more distant from your brother this year, and I just assumed...' he trailed off, looking very uncomfortable. 'Well, I assumed wrong. You're obvious worried about him now, and I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize you still cared for him.'

Part of Shadow wanted to immediately deny such a thing. Wasn't that what the Death Eaters were supposed to think? How else was she supposed to be a useful spy?

Unfortunately though, Draco knew her too well. Shadow looked up from the ground to see him watching her, almost apprehensively. An amused grin spread across her face. 'Am I truly that scary that you seem to have lost your eloquence, Draco?' she teased.

Draco bristled. 'I am not scared of you!'

She smirked and patted his arm. 'No, of course you aren't. And you're forgiven.'

He glared at her for a heartbeat or so longer, then broke into a smirk as well. 'Of course I am. You simply can't resist my charms.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Obviously.' Then her expression grew serious. 'How long ago did Hermione and Harry lead Umbridge into the forest?'

Draco helped her to her feet. 'I'd say around fifteen minutes ago.'

'They should be back by now.' Shadow glanced out at the empty grounds.

'_Is _there a secret weapon stashed in there?'

'Of course not,' she scoffed. 'That's just what the Ministry wants to hear.'

'Then maybe Granger is trying to get Umbridge lost in there somewhere. Give them time.'

Another ten minutes passed until Shadow couldn't stand it anymore. She jumped up from where she was playing wizarding chess against Blaise, almost knocking the board over in progress. 'I'm going to go ask Professor Snape something,' she told a bemused Blaise. 'You keep playing with Draco.'

Running up the stairs, she dodged a cackling Peeves and flashed past the patrolling Prefects so fast that they barely had time to shout 'hey!' before she disappeared around the corner.

'Professor Snape,' she panted when she reached the staff room again. 'Have they come out yet?'

Snape didn't seem to have moved from his spot next to the window since she left him. Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick both looked up curiously at her sudden entrance, but she ignored them, fixing her attention on Snape.

He turned slowly to face her. 'They have not.'

Shadow cursed, eliciting a disapproving look from Professor Flitwick. 'Are there any good explanations why they're taking so long?'

Snape took a long time to answer. 'No.'

Shadow cursed again. 'Harry must still think the vision is real. He -'

'We'll talk outside, Potter.' Snape interrupted her, gripping her elbow and pulling her out the door.

'I think he's gone to London, thinking he can save Sirius all by himself,' Shadow said the moment they were out of the staff room's earshot.

Snape curled a lip. 'That would be an extremely foolhardy and arrogant venture. Your brother does not have access to any means that would get him from Hogwarts to London in a timely fashion.'

Shadow stilled, a thought striking her like a lightning bolt. 'Oh Merlin,' she breathed. 'Threstals!'

'What?'

She was already sprinting down the hall. 'They've got threstals in the forest!'

Shadow tore through the castle, throwing hasty apologies left and right as she caused people to flatten against the walls and make way for her. She pushed Filch right over in her haste to get out the Entrance Hall.

'Oi, you there! Who do you think you are? Get back here! You're not allowed out of the castle after dark!' Filch's screeching voice chased after her as she whipped past the front doors and ran across the darkening grounds.

Even as she ran past Hagrid's hut though, there was a loud flutter and rustle of leaves falling and wings flapping, and three threstals broke free of the trees with two riders on each of their backs, traveling upwards and away from Hogwarts at incredible speed.

'No!' Shadow yelled. 'Harry, you idiot! Come back! Sirius is safe!'

None of the riders gave sign they'd heard her. Instead, the threstals seemed to travel even faster, a mere speck in the horizon, and then they were gone.

Shadow slowed to a panting halt just shy of crashing into a tree on the edge of the forest. She couldn't believe how stupid her brother was. _Why does he think he has to do everything himself?_ she thought angrily. _He's fifteen, for Merlin's sake! He should have told an adult, not run off with five other friends in tow!_

With a frustrated growl, she slammed her fist into the trunk of the pine.

'Oww...' Shadow wrenched her hand away, glaring at the tree furiously. It seemed that fate was mocking her own stupidity as well.

'You! Potter!'

With a groan, Shadow turned to face Filch, who was out of breath and red in the face, his jowls quivering angrily.

'Prefect Potter! Out in school grounds, running in the castle, and knocking people around without apologizing!' his looked positively mad. 'I thought Professor Umbridge said you were a good student!'

'Do not punish her, Argus, she had my permission.'

They both turned to see Snape striding out of the darkness, cape billowing around him. Filch shrank back instantly. 'She had your permission to run through the castle?' he asked suspiciously.

'She was chasing something of great importance. Now I think you should head back into the castle, because I heard Peeves breaking something in the Grand Hall when I came out.'

Filch looked outraged. 'Peeves!' he shouted, and began hustling back to the castle.

Snape turned back to Shadow, who cradled her bruised knuckles. 'I take it you didn't find them.'

'They just left. I missed them by a couple of seconds!' Shadow kicked at the ground. 'And he brought five other people with him! I don't know what he was thinking!'

Snape curled his lip. 'I will never understand Potter's arrogance and stupidity. Come, we must alert the Order at once.'

As they hurried back towards the castle, Shadow glanced back to see the dying sun cast bleeding rays towards the heavens, staining the clouds an ominous red. _Blood will be spilt, _it promised.

Something terrible was going to happen.

S

Hours later, Shadow sat in one of the visitor chairs of the Hospital Wing, pinned down by shock. _Sirius was dead._ Bellatrix Lestrange had killed him.

One of the first casualties of this impending war.

_The first one was Cedric_, a voice reminder her with a pang. But Sirius... though she'd not been as close to him as Harry had, he'd always been there... one of the few last connections she had with her parents...

She glanced over at where Harry was sitting on his bed, the horror, anguish, grief, and shock plain in his gaze as he stared unseeingly at his hands. The guilt he must feel... to be responsible for his godfather's death... Since he'd come back from Dumbledore's office, Harry had not uttered a single word. The entire wizarding world knew that Voldemort was back now, and that Harry hadn't been a lying, attention-seeking, deranged child. But at what cost?

Beside him, Madam Pomfrey was bustling around, busy tending to the various wounds on Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. The most seriously injured seemed to be Hermione, who had still not awoken from whatever dark spell she'd been hit. Ron was also in right state, his mind jumbled and face and hands scarred with... what had Neville said? Brains?

Already, Shadow felt some of her shock wear and give way to anger. _Gryffindors._ _Always tripping over the line that bordered bravery, recklessness, and stupidity._ Shadow shoved the cruel thought away. Now was not the time to berate them all for their moronic behaviors. The result of their actions was already punishment enough.

Further into the hospital wing, some of the Order were also moving about, some helping Madam Pomfrey with her sudden flood of patients, others waiting patiently to get their own wounds looked at. Dumbledore was currently deep in discussion with Lupin and Kingsley, his presence perhaps the only calm one in the room.

As if he sensed her gaze upon him, the headmaster looked up. 'If you will give me one moment,' Shadow heard him murmur to Kingsley before he strode over to where she sat.

'Shadow,' he said gently. 'Would you like to head back to the dormitories? You've done well today, but you look exhausted.'

Shadow rose to her feet, trying to clear some of her daze away. 'Okay.'

'I will walk with you.'

Shadow's befuddled state made way for suspicion when he followed her outside. 'What do you want to say to me?' she asked bluntly.

Dumbledore gave her that calm, understanding look he did so well. 'You are angry at me,' he stated. 'And I understand why. You resent that I had not allowed you to help Harry throughout the year.'

A dozen unpleasant things came to the tip of tongue, but she held it and merely returned Dumbledore's piercing gaze with one of her own.

He continued walking, forcing her to move as well. 'However, you _have _helped, Shadow. Tremendously. I know it feels as if you are just idling by watching your brother suffer, but a lot of the information you've passed on to me has been put to tremendous use. True, Voldemort hasn't been particularly active within Hogwarts, but you saved Harry and your friends' lives today by alerting Professor Snape so early on.'

'Perhaps I would have been able to stop them if I had been with them,' Shadow said flatly.

Dumbledore shook his head. 'We cannot guess what could have happened, but I don't think Harry would have been easily swayed from saving Sirius, especially since Kreacher told him Sirius had gone. If you had been with them, you might've been at the Department of Mysteries yourself, and you would have encountered Voldemort.'

Shadow said nothing.

Dumbledore sighed. 'Despite all this, however, I had watched you and Harry grow further and further apart this year and questioned my own wisdom. Was the price of a sibling's bond worth the role I could see you playing in the inevitable war ahead? I have realized my folly now. Voldemort was willing to capture you alive last year despite the fact that you'd clearly been helping Harry throughout the year.'

They'd reached the dungeons now, but Shadow made no move to push into the Slytherin common room. She wanted Dumbledore to finish what he was saying.

'And so, with the most sincere apologies, I would like you to continue your role throughout the next few years. However, please do not sever your ties with Harry for it. I have decided that that is not a price worth anything. He will need you now more than ever, especially after the passing of Sirius.' Dumbledore surveyed here with sad, twinkling eyes. It seemed that he knew exactly how much this year's acting had cost her.

'So I can talk to Harry now? I can continue being friends with the Weasleys and Hermione?'

'Yes.'

She did not jump for joy. Not yet. She knew there was something else, something Dumbledore was waiting for her to say. 'I will keep whatever information I can find to you, sir. And in the time that you will need another ally hidden within Voldemort's wing, I will be there.'

Dumbledore smiled, looking incredibly worn. 'You are mature beyond your age, Shadow. I thank you.'

'Goodnight, professor.'

And she turned and disappeared through the wall.


	10. Chapter 10: Sixth Year

**Sixth Year :)**

_Yes, I'm back from the dead. Hello to you too; please don't kill me. _

* * *

Draco stood stiffly beside his mother, feeling a mixture of apprehension, fear, awe, and excitement. On the opposite side of the Malfoy sitting room, Bellatrix Lestrange paced in front of the couches, twirling her wand with fevered anticipation. Her footsteps were the only sound in the entire mansion.

Then, in a jerked motion that broke her steady footfalls, Bellatrix suddenly seized her forearm as if it burned. Her eyes gleamed. 'He's coming.'

Next to Draco, Narcissa tensed, her face suddenly devoid of color. He spared her a quick glance, noticing how she had angled her body so that she stood slightly in front of him, as if to shield him from whatever was coming. Before he could express his displeasure in being protected though, there was a loud crack.

Despite himself, Draco took a step back when the Dark Lord appeared in the middle of the room. The fireplace seemed to darken, and the temperature seemed to drop a couple of degrees. Voldemort surveyed the room with crimson eyes that stood stark in his bloodless face, his slit-like nostrils flared.

'My lord,' Bellatrix breathed, bowing low. 'It is such an honor to have you here.'

Narcissa and Draco quickly followed suit. His mother's hand was clenched rather tightly around her wand.

'Narcissa,' the cold voice cut through the air. Narcissa's knuckles turned white as she looked up. 'Have you no words for me as the hostess of this house?'

'You are most welcome into our humble home, my lord,' Narcissa murmured. Behind her, Draco shifted slightly, unused to being on his knees. Voldemort noticed.

'Ah, this must be your son. Draco, I presume?'

Draco looked up to see the Dark Lord had stopped right in front of him. He felt an unexpected surge of trepidation. 'Yes, my lord.'

Voldemort's eyes glittered red, cold and cruel. 'So similar to his father. You are Lucius's image through and through.'

Draco felt a flicker of old pride, followed by the feeling of unease. His father was in Azkaban right now, imprisoned for his failure. Beside him, Narcissa was so tense that she was almost trembling.

'Would you like a chance to prove that you are just like your father, Draco? A chance to prove that you are a man?'

Draco straightened. Voldemort watched him through his snake-like eyes, a cold smile playing across his face.

He swallowed. 'Yes, my lord.'

'Excellent,' the Dark Lord hissed. 'You are young, yes, but resourceful, cunning, and ambitious. Just as a Slytherin should be.'

Draco felt himself swell with pleasure at this praise.

'And so, I've decided that you will be the youngest recruit into my noble ranks of Death Eaters.'

At this, there was an audible gasp from both Bellatrix and Narcissa. They stared at Voldemort, one with surprise the other with horror. Draco stood there, shock and wariness warring with pride. _The youngest Death Eater._ Even his father wouldn't be able to find fault in that, would he? He could restore honor to the Malfoy family. He could make sure that the world feared his father again.

'Come here,' the Dark Lord said coldly, extending a pale hand.

'No!' Narcissa gripped Draco's shoulder, not allowing him to rise. 'My lord, surely he is too young! He's not even of age!'

Voldemort's gaze glittered coldly. 'Then that makes his achievement all the more momentous, does it not? To have gained the favor of Lord Voldemort even before he is seventeen... truly, even Lucius would be proud, don't you think?'

'My lord...'

A sudden terrible fury swept through Draco. He rose to his feet, ignoring the desperate movement from his mother. He knew the Dark Lord was doing this only to torment his mother and punish his father. He knew that he expected him to cower. But no, he would not. His father had served the Dark Lord faithfully for ages, been his second in command for years. Draco wasn't going to let Voldemort forget what he owed Lucius Malfoy so soon.

Knowing what the Dark Lord wanted to do, he extended his left arm.

Voldemort touched his wand-tip to Draco's forearm. At once, a terrible burning sensation filled his arm, almost causing him to rip his arm away, but he held fast, gritting his teeth against the pain. It was over as quickly as it had come. When Voldemort lifted his wand, Draco stared at the ugly mark branded into his skin. The ink-black skull's gaze bored into his, so much like the master it symbolized.

'Welcome, Draco Malfoy, my newest Death Eater.' There seemed to be a touch of amusement to Voldemort's voice.

Draco bent his back. 'Master.' The word sounded strange in his mouth.

Behind him, Narcissa gave a muffled sob.

'Now Draco, here is your first task to prove your loyalty to me,' Voldemort all but murmured the words. 'Your task is to kill Albus Dumbledore.'

All the air in the room seemed to vanish at once.

Draco jerked his head up, dismay filling his entire being. Kill? He thought Dumbledore was a softhearted fool, yes, but did he want him dead? No. Not to mention that even the Dark Lord himself couldn't kill Dumbledore, how could he expect Draco to do it?

Voldemort's crimson gaze burned into his as if he knew what he was thinking.

'My lord,' Narcissa gasped, crawling forward. 'You cannot do this. Draco cannot do this. He is but a boy, how can you expect him to kill someone at such a young age?'

The Dark Lord's gave her a look full of contempt. 'I killed when I was sixteen,' he said coldly. 'Draco will have no problem with this task. His youth will aid him - Dumbledore will not expect one of his students to be the one to end his long life.'

'But my lord -'

'I think it is a great honor you have bestowed upon Draco, my lord,' Bellatrix interrupted. 'To allow him to join your ranks at such a young age, it is only logical that you would have him prove his worth.'

'If you are successful, you will be gloried beyond your wildest dreams,' said Voldemort. 'You will be my closest, most important Death Eater, the one I would favor most, because you would have accomplished something no one else has done. Your father would be forgiven for his foolish mistakes, and the Malfoy family will be the most honored of my Death Eaters.'

Now Narcissa rose. 'And if he is to fail?' Her whisper was filled with fear.

Voldemort's eyes flashed. 'If he is to fail, he will pay the price of failure. As will the rest of his family.'

'You'll kill us,' Draco heard himself say. He was surprised by how calm he sounded, how detached. 'Even my father.' It was not a question.

Voldemort's smile chilled him to the bone. 'You know what to expect.'

'No,' Narcissa lunged forward as if to grab the Dark Lord's robes, but Bellatrix held her back. 'My lord, please. He is my son... my only son... please...'

He ignored her, turning his pitiless eyes upon Draco's frozen form. 'I expect results by the end of the year.'

Draco looked blankly back at him.

'But Lord Voldemort is not merciless,' he continued, clearly enjoying their terror. 'I will forgive you if you don't succeed, but only if you are able to procure a way for me and my Death Eaters into the Hogwarts castle. If you can do this, I will not kill you, but if you cannot do either...'

He let his voice trail of menacingly.

Draco felt as if he could breath again. _Get the Death Eaters into the castle_. That seemed doable. He remembered something Montague had said about the Vanishing Cabinet...

He bowed his head. 'I will not fail, master.'

The Dark Lord's eyes gleamed. 'Excellent. I await your results.' And with one last, cold laugh, he disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

S

'Happy birthday, Harry!'

Harry started awake at the loud bellow and banged his forehead into someone's chin.

'Oww,' he groped for his glasses. 'Oh, of course it's you Ron.'

Ron grinned, rubbed his chin, then tossed him a poorly wrapped gift. 'Happy sixteenth, mate! Hermione's got hers downstairs. Mom's cooked up a huge breakfast for you. She's also planned a birthday tea this afternoon!'

Ignoring Harry's protests, he dragged him downstairs, where everyone was waiting for him with beaming faces.

'Happy birthday, Harry!' they cheered as Ron pushed his rumpled form into the seat beside his. The moment he was seated, they showered him with gifts, almost burying him. Harry only managed to glare at them for a couple of seconds before he burst out laughing.

'Ron,' Mrs Weasley reprimanded as she came out of the kitchen laden with delicacies. 'I told you Harry should be allowed to sleep in on his birthday!'

'But the food smelled so good and I knew you wouldn't allow me to eat if Harry was still upstairs,' Ron griped. Everyone laughed, and even Mrs Weasley smiled.

'I suppose 'ze food is reasonable today. Back at 'ome, every meal is seemply splendid. My mother is famous for 'er cooking,' Fleur said serenely.

'Yes, well,' Mrs Weasley huffed, shooting a glare in Fleur's direction. 'Eat up while it's hot! And happy birthday, dear.' She gave Harry a fond smile.

'Thanks for everything, Mrs Weasley,' Harry said heartily, feeling overwhelmed.

Throughout the day, several people from the Order dropped by to wish Harry happy birthday. Most of them couldn't stay for the small party Mrs Weasley had planned, but Lupin, who looked infinitely more worn and shabby since the last time they'd seen him celebrated it with them.

'Happy birthday, Harry.' Lupin lifted his butterbeer in Harry's direction. 'I remember your father's sixteenth. Sirius managed to convince him to try firewhisky for the first time... we never laughed as hard as when your father passed out after his sixth drink.'

Harry felt his heart constrict, but Lupin, who was must've been too tired to realize he said anything wrong, continued, a distant smile on his face. 'Sirius had always been a terrible influence... Of course, the bets that followed on whether Sirius would beat your father's meagre streak hauled in a lot of favors for me -'

'Remus!' Mrs Weasley hissed out of the corner of her mouth. 'Not here!' She glanced at Harry in concern.

Lupin seemed to wake up from a reverie. 'What?' His gaze fell on Harry. 'Oh,' he grimaced. 'I'm so sorry, Harry, I did not mean to -'

'It's okay,' Harry said quickly. 'I don't mind.'

'Well!' Mrs Weasley said in the strained silence that followed. 'Has everyone finished? Because I have cake!'

Conversation resumed, albeit in a way that Mrs Weasley didn't appreciate.

'There have been another couple of Dementor attacks,' Lupin announced as Mrs Weasley passed him a large slice of birthday cake. 'And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north...'

'Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?' asked Bill, interrupting Mrs Weasley's attempt to divert the conversation again. 'The man who ran -'

'- the ice-cream place in Diagon Alley?' Harry finished with an unpleasant, hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. 'He used to give me free ice creams. What happened to him?'

'Dragged off, by the look of his place.' Bill missed the pointed glare Mrs Weasley shot at him.

'Talking of Diagon Alley,' said Mr Weasley, 'looks like Ollivander's gone too.'

'The wand-maker?' a new, voice asked from doorway.

Everyone turned to see Dumbledore shut the door quietly, his blue robes drawing all eyes at first, but he was not the one who had spoken. Shadow straightened from where she'd been pulling off her boots. 'Hi.'

'Shadow!' Hermione beamed. 'I thought you'd be at the Malfoys!'

Beside her, Ron scowled. He had still not quite forgiven Shadow for being so cold to them last year.

'Ah, no need, Molly,' Dumbledore said, stopping Mrs Weasley from drawing up more chairs. 'I only dropped by to escort Shadow. Happy birthday, Harry,' he added, twinkling at him over half-moon spectacles before taking his leave.

'Yeah, happy birthday.' Shadow smiled. 'I would have gotten you a gift, but since it's also my birthday, I think I'll pass.'

'Oh right!' Sometimes, Harry forgot that were twins, and judging from the way everyone looked up with guilty faces, they had too. 'Happy birthday to you too, Shadow.' Everyone chimed in as well.

Harry scooted over to let Shadow slip her chair between him and Fleur. The awkwardness still lingered between them, though not as bad as it had been last year. Harry knew that Shadow had refrained from siding with him on the request of Dumbledore, but it still hurt no less every time her gaze had swept over him when they passed in the hallways. 'Why are you here though? I thought you would be spending the summer with Malfoy.' He tried not to sound overly accusing.

'I was,' Shadow said, helping herself to cake. 'But he doesn't want me there anymore.'

'What?'

'He started ignoring my owls, and when I just started getting worried, he told me it'd be best if I didn't come.' Shadow said it all nonchalantly, but Harry could detect the undercurrent of hurt beneath her tone. 'So I took the hint and went to stay at Daphne's. She went to visit her grandmother this weekend, though, so I'll be staying for a couple of days.'

'The slimy git,' Ron muttered. 'Why'd you even like him in the first place?'

'Does Dumbledore know?' Hermione asked, ignoring Ron. 'Because wasn't Malfoy your means of... gaining information?'

Shadow winced at her statement. 'Yeah. He told me not to worry about it, and that it was probably not a good idea to go to Malfoy Manor anyways, since Voldemort might go there.'

Harry frowned. 'Malfoy didn't say anything else as to why he didn't want you there?' Despite how much he loathed Draco Malfoy, he still had to admit that Malfoy obviously cared for Shadow. He still remembered how he had helped Harry with the Triwizard Tournament, even though he had complained every step of the way. It seemed strange that he would suddenly severe contact with Shadow.

'No.'

Shadow speared her cake with more viciousness than it warranted, her green eyes troubled. Harry felt a surge of anger. _Malfoy is not worth the distress._

'You are 'Arry's sister?' Fleur asked from Shadow's other side. 'Ah, yes. I remember seeing you at ze Yule Ball.'

'Oh, this is Fleur Delacour,' Ron jumped in eagerly at the sight of Shadow's confused expression. 'She was the Beauxbatons champion.'

'She's getting married to Bill,' Hermione explained when Ron failed to cover that part.

Shadow's face cleared. 'Oh, hello. I'm Shadow Potter.'

Fleur nodded daintily. 'I remember. During ze Triwizard Tournament, all ze Beauxbaton girls were discussing whether or not you 'ad Veela blood in you. Of course, I put a stop to ze nonsense.'

Shadow looked startled. 'Veela blood? Why would I have Veela blood?'

''Zey were seemply jealous zat all ze boys who didn't ask me to ze ball had asked you.' Fleur didn't seem the slightest bit ruffled by her own statement. Shadow, on the other hand, stared at her as if she'd grown an extra head. 'Of course, zey were only ze boys from ze younger grades, but zat did not stop them from being jealous.'

Harry swapped bemused glances with Ron. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

'Rumors are often exaggerated as they spread,' Shadow said after recollecting herself. 'And I'm sure any attention that I drew was only because I was Harry's sister -' at this, Harry shot her a swift look - 'and because I hadn't been at school for a couple of years.'

Fleur nodded again, as if agreeing with her. 'You are beautiful, yes, but not as beautiful as ze Veelas.' She flicked a loose strand of silvery-blond hair over her shoulders. 'I remember arguing 'zis exact point with your dance partner... what was 'is name? Ah yes, it was Draco.'

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances while Shadow hunched uncomfortably.

''e was a 'andsome boy. And one of ze easier ones to talk to. I 'ope you are still friends.' Fleur took a sip from her drink, oblivious to the discomfort she'd caused Shadow.

Hermione, taking pity on Shadow, said, 'So how were your OWLs, Shadow? You have gotten them back, right?'

'Oh,' Shadow seized upon the topic with obvious relief. 'I did alright, I passed them all.'

'Let me guess,' Ron said sourly - obviously, Fleur's compliments for Malfoy had deeply nettled him, 'Ten "Outstandings"?'

Shadow's face colored.

'Oh my gosh, you got ten "Outstandings"?' Hermione all but shrieked. 'That's amazing!'

'Hermione got an "Exceeds Expectations" for Defense Against the Dark Arts,' Harry said to Shadow out of the corner of his mouth while all the adults on the other side of the table began offering Shadow their congratulations as well.

'Good gracious, ten OWLs? That's incredible, Shadow!' Mrs Weasley exclaimed.

'Wow,' Bill said, impressed. 'That hasn't happened for a while.'

'Bill got ten "Outstandings" for 'is OWLs too,' Fleur purred.

'I'd say this calls for another cheers,' Lupin said, lifting his butterbeer. All the others followed suit. 'To Shadow's amazing OWL results!'

Thirty minutes later, Harry, Shadow, Hermione, and Ron ran out to the Weasleys' garden, laughing at Shadow's crimson face.

'You look so embarrassed!' Harry grinned, flopping down beside his sister on the grass. 'I don't think I'd seen your face so uncomfortable.'

'Shut up,' Shadow swatted him.

'Why are you embarrassed though? It's such a great achievement!' Hermione looked half-jealous half-amused.

'I just think that if I hadn't been sulking so much last year, my results wouldn't have been as good,' Shadow said sheepishly.

Hermione shook her head as the two boys laughed. 'You're just too modest, Shadow.'

'Did Harry tell you about Horace Slughorn and the fact that he's going to get private lessons from Dumbledore, Shadow?' Ron asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

'Really?' Shadow eyed her brother with interest. 'Dumbledore's giving you private lessons? Well his lessons aren't the usual type. When he taught me in second year, he read me children's tales.'

Ron snorted. 'Sounds just like something Dumbledore would do.'

'Yeah.' Harry paused. Hermione was watching him, as if she knew he was debating whether or not to tell Shadow about the prophecy. He avoided her gaze. 'Yeah, Hermione reckons he'll teach me some advanced defensive magic though. And Slughorn's going to be the new teacher this year - he was retired, but Dumbledore used me to convince him to come back out of retirement.'

Hermione frowned at his abrupt change of topic, but otherwise let it go.

'Huh. Is he any good?'

Harry made a noncommittal noise. 'He's... better than Umbridge anyhow.'

Shadow grimaced. 'Well, that's a good thing.' She paused, then asked. 'Do you know what happened to Dumbledore's hand?'

Harry winced at the memory of the blackened, burned hand. It had seemed almost dead. 'No. He wouldn't tell me.'

She laid back onto the grass, staring up at the lazy clouds. That mask was back now, the one she always seemed to unconsciously put on when she was deep in thought. Her face, smoothed of emotion, was hard to decipher. At least now it didn't contain of the impatience and aloofness that had been present for much of the previous year.

_I hope she doesn't hang around Malfoy as much this year, _he thought. Harry had missed her steadfast presence.

_Then why don't you trust her enough to tell her about the prophecy?_ another voice retorted.

Harry shoved the thought away. It didn't matter anymore. She was back.

But even as he looked over at his sister again, he wondered. Was she truly back?

S

Shadow dragged her trunk after Daphne, lurching unceremoniously to one side when the train jolted forward and began to pick up pace. All around her, students peered out at her with more interest than usual. Now that the whole wizarding world knew that Harry had been telling the truth about Voldemort all along, the press had been amazingly generous in their descriptions of him. "The Chosen One", people whispered now.

_Such hypocrites,_ she thought with disgust as she let her freezing glare pass over the majority of the students. _So shallow. So easily afraid, so easily swayed. Their loyalty and beliefs are about as fickle and substantial as the wind. I will never understand why Harry thinks these people are worth saving. We should just pack our bags and move to China, where Voldemort definitely won't reach us._

Up ahead, Daphne seemed to be struggling to keep hold of Pearl, the fluffy ghost-white cat she'd gotten over the summer. The young cat was so excited by the cacophony of new sounds and smells that it didn't seem able to keep still. Daphne cursed, stopping so suddenly that Shadow almost rammed into her.

'Pearl, I know you smell the lunch trolley, but honestly I can get you something after we settle - hey!'

Pearl leaped from her arms, landing with her tail sticking straight up, her whiskers quivering with anticipation. Daphne tried to scoop the cat back up, but she danced out of the way and weaved her way between the people and compartments, causing more than one exclamation of alarm.

'Oh for Merlin's sake,' Daphne dropped her trunk and made to give chase.

'Let her be,' Shadow said in amusement. 'She's excited.'

'I've still got to stop her before she wrecks something. Take my trunk will you?' Daphne raced after the white cat.

Shaking her head, Shadow pushed open the door to the Slytherin compartment. Surprised squeals came from within, and the door slid open to reveal something that made the world come to a screeching halt.

Pansy was in Draco's lap, her arm thrown around his neck, her leg tangled between his. Draco's arm was around her waist, his other one stretched luxuriously over the headrest of the seat beside his. Both of them froze at the sight of her.

Shadow stared at Draco, who had the grace to look slightly ashamed, though there seemed to be a trace of smugness, as if he had intended for her to see this. The light grey eyes that she had come to admire so much were completely devoid of warmth as he looked back at her, his face hard and cold. It was as if a completely different person sat across her.

Dimly, Shadow was aware that she was still frozen in the doorway, one hand holding the door open, the other one wrapped loosely around the handle of her trunk. On the other side of the compartment, Blaise and Theo sitting there, gawking at Draco with the same look of horror in their eyes. Even Tracey seemed shocked. Crabbe and Goyle just sniggered.

_Breathe,_ Shadow commanded herself. Her whole being felt immobilized, her expression utterly blank. Her lungs expanded, finally allowing the oxygen through, but it only felt as if she was inhaling splintered ice.

'Shadow, move it, will you? Pearl won't stop squirming...'

Daphne's voice trailed off when she saw what was happening over Shadow's shoulders. Then the explosion of noise caused several compartments to bang open in alarm, people peering out to see what was wrong.

'Oh no, no, no,' Daphne all but yelled. 'This is _not_ happening, Malfoy. You vile, heartless -'

Shadow's hand shot up, halting Daphne's tirade so quickly that it was almost as if she had cast a silencing charm. She eased into the compartment, her eyes not leaving Draco's.

'Pansy,' Shadow said, her voice utterly calm. 'Would you mind if I put my trunk on top of yours? There isn't any space left.'

The triumphant smirk on Pansy's face wavered at the unexpected question. A sliver of apprehension wormed it's way into her expression, Shadow's cool composure clearly unnerving her as much as it did everyone else in the compartment. She untangled herself from Draco, though she remained in his lap. 'Sure,' she said, not quite able to sneer as she usually did.

Shadow tossed her trunk up without looking at it. She felt strangely detached, as if she was watching all this through someone else's eyes.

'Draco,' the name tasted like ash on her tongue. Everyone else in their room held their breath, but she only looked at him. Something flickered in his eyes for a moment, a fleeting expression of unhappiness. 'We have Prefect duties' was all she said, before she turned and pushed past Daphne and into the hall.

The moment the door slid shut behind her, she felt the world pitch around her and the noise returned in full volume. Shadow staggered forward and pressed her forehead against the wall opposite. Everything was spinning too fast. Her heart thundered in her ears. It felt like someone had plunged a dagger into her heart, but that she had been too numb to feel it until now. The pain was trickling in, until in became a gushing torrent that intensified into rage.

Her stomach heaved, as if her body was trying to physically reject what she'd just seen. _No,_ a voice cried out in denial. _This can't be happening. I refuse to believe it._

'Shadow?'

She looked up at the masculine voice, her hand already on her wand to hex Draco into oblivion before she realized that it was not him. Anthony Goldstein peered at her in concern, uncertainty written across his face in broad strokes.

'Are you alright? I was just looking for you and Malfoy, the other Prefects were wondering where you guys were.'

Shadow stared at him for several moments, the words taking time to register. 'I -' her voice came out hoarse. She cleared her throat and started again. 'I'll come with you. Malfoy... he's not coming.'

Anthony frowned in concern. 'Is something wrong with him? Is he sick?'

'No.' Shadow emptied her mind, as if she was faced with a Legilimens, grasping at the icy unfeelingness Occlumency demanded. 'He's just not fit to be a Prefect.'

'Er, okay.' Anthony glanced at the Slytherin compartment curiously, but Shadow stalked past him without looking back. She heard Daphne's voice behind her - she must have come out to look for her - but she didn't stop, leaving Anthony to talk to her.

'Are you okay?' Hermione whispered when Shadow slumped beside her in the Prefects compartment. 'You look so pale.'

'Where's Malfoy?' Ron asked, a bit aggressively.

Shadow ignored both of them. Anthony slid into the compartment, and judging from the sympathetic look on his face, he'd either seen Draco and Pansy, or Daphne had told him.

She gave him a look cold enough to freeze off appendages.

The new Head Boy, whose name Shadow didn't know nor cared to know, seemed to know better than to question her tardiness and Draco's absence. He launched straight into going over the rules and responsibilities of being Prefect, which Shadow happily ignored. Hermione shot her a look of concern, but she couldn't say anything while the Head Boy was still speaking.

Once they'd been released to patrol the corridors, however, Hermione grabbed Shadow by the arm before she could make her escape.

'Shadow,' she said seriously. 'Tell me what's wrong.'

'You won't tell on me if I don't do my duties as Prefects on the train today, will you?' Shadow asked brusquely, brushing off the question.

Hermione gave her a startled look. 'Of course I won't, but why -'

'Good.' Shadow twisted away, and before Hermione could catch her again, she darted out of the compartment.

Only to crash into Daphne.

'Shadow -'

'Don't.' The glare she leveled at Daphne was so intense that she took a step back. Shadow took this opportunity to slip around her just before Hermione and Ron came out of the compartment.

'Wait, Shadow!'

Shadow weaved through the people on the train, walking so quickly that the faces seemed to blur together. There was no place to run on this train, she knew, but she kept going to the end of the train, not caring as long as she was heading away from Draco.

She came to the last compartment, fully expecting it to be empty. Fate, however, jeered in her face when she pulled the door open to see Harry, Neville, and Luna.

'Shadow!' Harry leaped up from his seat in surprise. 'What are you doing here? I thought you had Prefect duties!'

She almost turned away, but there was no where else to go. Besides, Daphne, Hermione, and Ron were hurrying towards her, all wearing similar expressions of determination and concern.

_Trapped,_ she growled in frustration. _By my own friends._

'Shadow,' Harry frowned. 'Are you -'

'No,' Shadow said coldly. She scanned the compartment, ignoring Neville's timid greeting, and sat in the farthest seat from the door.

She fixed her attention on the moving trees outside the window, blocking everything else out. She did not seek companionship now - she wanted some time alone to think!

Shadow was aware that Daphne had seated herself beside her, and that Ron and Hermione were talking to Harry in a low voice, but she didn't look around. She focused on the rapidly changing countryside, trying to sort through the storm of emotions that roiled within her. She needed to be back in control, but every time she tried to wrest her ricocheting thoughts into a semblance of order, the painful image of Pansy and Draco rose in her mind.

The dagger twisted painfully.

And Draco's eyes. They had never looked so frosty, so hostile... They had used to look at her with such warmth and care...

To Shadow's mortification, a single tear leaked from the corner of her eye in response to the cracking sensation in her heart. She swiped it angrily away and refocused on the expanse of water they were now passing over. _Control._

'_What?'_

Harry's livid yell shattered her concentration. She looked over her shoulder to see both Ron and Hermione trying to wrestle Harry back into his seat.

'I'm going to kill him!' Harry was snarling, trying to get past Ron to the door. 'I"m going to strangle him until he -'

'You needn't bother, I've already done that,' Daphne said in an offhand voice. Harry stopped struggling, looking over at the Slytherin in surprise. 'I swung my trunk at his face. I think he's got a black eye.'

The compartment door slid open again, and Harry leaped to his feet at the flash of Slytherin green robes. However, it was not a boy with platinum-blond hair and silvery gray eyes that stepped in, but a tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes.

Blaise gave Harry a brief look of scorn before saying, 'I'm suppose to give these to Dawn Potter, Harry Potter, and Neville Longbottom.' He held up three scrolls of parchment tied with violet ribbons, tossing two of them to Harry and Neville. He strolled up to Shadow to give her the one addressed to her though, clearly wanting to talk to her.

'If you want to ask me if I'm alright, about five people beat you to it,' Shadow said irritably. Daphne shifted in her seat, but she still remained resolutely beside her.

'He didn't mean it, he doesn't even like her,' Blaise said in a low voice, deadly serious for once. 'The moment you walked out the door, he threw her off his lap like she was a piece of garbage. He hadn't even looked at her before that, and didn't spare her a glance afterwards. It was just when he heard you outside the compartment that he yanked her arm and caused her to lose her balance.'

Shadow did not allow any seeds of hope to grow. 'I appreciate your concern,' she said coolly. 'But it matters not whether Draco likes Pansy; he's made it quite clear whether or not he likes _me.'_

To this, Blaise seemed lost for words.

Taking advantage of his momentary silence, Shadow unrolled the note he'd handed her.

_Dawn,_

_I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C._

_Sincerely, _

_Professor H.E.F. Slughorn_

'Who's Professor Slughorn?' asked Neville from across the compartment, looking perplexedly at his own invitation.

'New teacher,' said Harry. 'Well, I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?' He cast a glance at Shadow.

'Did you get one as well?' Daphne asked Blaise. He nodded, extracting a scroll similarly tied with purple ribbon.

'Come on, then.' Harry stood up. He was fingering his Invisibility Cloak. 'Let's go.'

For a moment, Shadow was tempted to refuse. The last thing she wanted to do was go to this little tea party, especially since Draco was in compartment D. However, seeing everyone look at her, she swallowed the urge to turn into a cat and disappear into the shadows and followed them out the compartment.

'Harry, m'boy!' A large, bald with a great silver mustache wizard exclaimed with great enthusiasm the moment they stepped into compartment C. He leaped to his feet, which Shadow thought was a feat in its own, considering the size of his velvet-covered belly. 'Good to see you, good to see you!'

Slughorn's squinty gaze then alit on Shadow, who was right behind Harry. 'Ah! You must be Harry's sister! It's wonderful to meet you at last, Dawn!'

'My friends call me Shadow.' She took a seat between Harry and Blaise. Besides the four of them, there were also two seventh-year boys that she did not recognize and, squashed in the corner beside Slughorn and looking as though she was not entirely sure how she got there, Ginny.

'What does he teach?' Blaise muttered to Shadow as Slughorn turned to Neville. The familiar haughty and derisive air that most Slytherins bore was back in place as he looked at Slughorn. 'He hasn't said two words to me yet, but somehow he's already lost my respect.'

Shadow couldn't help agreeing.

'You are Blaise Zabini, am I correct?' Slughorn asked Blaise, looking curiously between him and Shadow. 'Are you acquainted with Shadow?'

Blaise spared Shadow a glance before saying, 'We're friends, yes.'

'Ah, of course, I should've known. You are in the Slytherin house, aren't you?' Slughorn beamed at Shadow. 'That's my house too, you know!'

Behind Slughorn, Shadow saw Harry and Neville swap grimaces.

'Well now, this is most pleasant,' said Slughorn cosily after they'd all settled. 'A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch...'

Shadow pressed her head against the window until it hurt, letting Slughorn's words wash over her.

_We weren't even dating anyways, _she tried to compartmentalize and kill the pain within her with cold logic. _Not really. Remember last year? _

But then another scene came back to her. He'd kissed her right before leaving the Hogwarts train last year, stunning her into silence. She had thought he only wanted to be friends after she'd chosen her loyalty for Harry over Slytherin, but he'd murmured, _'Write to me,' _before he left her there.

_How does that change anything? You were ready to just be friends with him anyways. Don't you remember what he did to Harry and the Weasleys that Quidditch match?_

The landscape blurred, but she refused to let the tears fall.

_Control._

S

'Do you want me to punch him in the face for you again?' Daphne offered, glaring viciously at the sleek blond head that was barely visible in the center of a crowd of guffawing Slytherins. 'I want to ruin that pretty face of his.'

'Don't bother,' Shadow said distantly. She tightened her grip around her fork as Draco mimed the breaking of Harry's nose yet again. 'It'll only fuel him to spite us even more.'

Daphne glowered dangerously, but otherwise made no move. On her other side, Blaise and Theo exchanged glances. They'd stuck with Shadow and Daphne ever since the fiasco on the train, clearly disapproving of Draco's newfound arrogance and cruelty, but did not exactly condemn him either. Shadow understood - she was just grateful that they'd not joined in on his quest to become the bully he had been all those years ago.

_You thought he had changed,_ a voice murmured bitterly. _You were a fool._

'I still don't understand why,' she heard Theo mutter to Blaise in a low voice. 'He was so depressed last year when she was mad at him.'

_And you're still a fool._

Shadow pushed her plate away. 'See you at potions,' she told Daphne curtly.

'But you haven't gotten your schedule yet!'

'I did. I had to talk to Snape about it because all the options were open to me.' Without waiting for a response, she swung her bag over her shoulder and strode away.

The Arithmancy class began, as expected, with a lecture about how N.E.W.T. level was a huge jump from OWL level. Shadow doodled absentmindedly on the corner of her parchment, drawing looks from Hermione, who sat beside her. Two rows behind, Draco was muttering something to Blaise. Shadow flicked at her quill irritably.

'Let's begin the year with a refreshing project, shall we?' Professor Vector was saying cheerfully. 'We will be using numerical data from centuries ago, and we will match its interpretations with the actual events that happened in history. This will allow us to see how accurate our predictions were. It's a large project, for the runes I'll be giving you are pages long, so it'll be done in groups of three.' Professor Vector smiled, 'Your groups are written on the board.'

Even before the chalky writing appeared, Shadow knew with a sinking heart exactly who would be in her group.

'Ah, no,' Hermione murmured sympathetically. 'She thinks she's doing you a favor by putting you guys together.'

Shadow glared at white words. 'Joy,' she said humorlessly.

DAWN POTTER

DRACO MALFOY

ANTHONY GOLDSTEIN

'At least you have Anthony,' Hermione said. 'He's a good student.'

Shadow made a non-committal noise at the back of her throat.

'Now these translations are due in five weeks,' Professor Vector continued. 'That may seem a long time, but let me tell you before hand - do not underestimate the amount of writing you'll be going through.'

'This is insane!' Hermione exclaimed an hour later after they stepped out of the Runes room. 'We have a fifteen inch-essay, two translations, and this massive stack of books to read -' she hefted the three books Professor Vector had handed out, '- all on top of that group project! If all classes are like this, how are we expected to get any sleep?'

'Aw, is the mudblood finally starting to worry about her beauty sleep?' a voice floated down from the stairs to their left. 'It's a bit late for that.'

Shadow whirled and slammed Tracey against the wall, her forearm shoved up her throat. 'Do not use that filthy word on my friend,' she snarled. Pansy, who'd been sniggering along with Tracey, squealed and dropped her books. Tracey's eyes were wide as moons as they stared up at Shadow in terror.

It felt as though a sudden hurricane had blown through her. Shadow stared fiercely at Tracey without actually seeing her, she heard Hermione's exclamations without actually comprehending them. All the previous walls she'd been building to keep her emotions in check were crumbling down, and riding the crest of the wave was an uncontrollable feeling of rage. She was losing control. She was losing control quickly.

'Get off her!'

Strong hands wrenched Shadow away, leaving Tracey to fall to the floor, gasping in shock. But Shadow's wand had already appeared in her hands, the familiar voice whipping up the storm to an untamable degree.

'Don't touch me,' she pointed her wand at him, sparks shooting out from the tip. Although the winds still howled, the words came out dead calm. 'You have no right to touch me.'

Draco took a step back from the wand pointing at his heart. He gave her a crooked smile, though it seemed slightly uncertain. 'You wouldn't dare.'

'Shadow!' Hermione's voice stopped her within milliseconds of casting an illegal spell. 'He's not worth it.'

Shadow gripped her wand so tightly that it seemed to tremble. Her heart raged for her to spit in his face, to scream her despair and make him feel the same pain in his heart, but Hermione's interruption had allowed her to regain some of her senses.

_Control._

A heartbeat passed.

Then another.

She lowered her wand.

'It's not that I wouldn't dare, Draco.' She gave Draco the coldest smile. 'I just think it'd take a bloody awful amount of time washing your guts off from the wall.'

Then she turned and stormed away before the first of her angry tears could fall.

All throughout Defense Against the Dark Arts, she seethed and simmered, barely able to rein in the storm of emotions in her heart. Draco sat at the opposite side of the room, somewhere far behind her, yet she still felt his presence there, lingering at her shoulder no matter which way she turned.

'Miss Potter,' Snape said, disapproval and irritation rich in every layer of his tone as he watched her fail to deflect Daphne's jelly-leg jinx non-verbally for the fifth consecutive time. 'You are too distracted. With your normal aptitude for concentration, non-verbal spells should come easily.'

Shadow growled inaudibly. Ignoring the concerned looks from Harry and Ron, who stood not far away, she focused once more on Daphne. Her friend was worrying her bottom lip, clearly unwilling to jinx Shadow again, lest Snape became even angrier.

'Cast it,' Shadow said ruthlessly.

Daphne raised her wand unhappily. Suddenly, Shadow felt more than saw Draco look her way from across the room. Against her will, her eyes moved to meet his gray ones for a fleeting moment -

BAM! Shadow tumbled to the floor, Daphne's stunning spell catching her straight in the chest. She lay there for a moment, winded, and even more frustrated than before. _You stupid fool. You bloody stupid fool._

'Get up,' Snape said sharply. Now almost half the class had paused to watch. '_Focus._ You are out of control, Miss Potter. Do not be like your blundering brother, who cannot focus his mind to save his life.' Behind him, Harry's face colored. 'Channel your emotions. Greengrass, again!'

'Please, sir,' Daphne said. 'This is the first time we've tried non-verbal spells. Do no be so harsh on -'

'No excuses,' Snape said flatly. 'You will be expected to use non-verbal spells in every class by the end of sixth year. Besides,' he looked down at Shadow coldly. 'Mr Malfoy and Ms Granger have both managed to cast and repel non-verbal spells.'

His gaze swept the classroom. 'Malfoy, come here. I want you to demonstrate how to successfully jinx in silence.'

'Professor -' Both Hermione and Daphne began.

'Silence!' Snape's eyes flashed angrily. 'If you interrupt me again, I will deduct points.'

_He knows_, Shadow realized. _He's purposefully goading me with Draco. Why?_

'Get up, Shadow,' Snape repeated.

Slowly, Shadow pushed herself upright. Draco was already standing across from her, wand in hand. For once, he looked uncomfortable, studiously avoiding her gaze. The rest of the class had abandoned all pretense of pretending to work, silently watching as Shadow moved to face him.

_Focus._ Shadow watched Draco intently, every fiber of her being humming with restrained energy. _Channel your emotions. _She saw the moment his eyes hardened, the moment his wand moved to cast the spell.

_Protego! _she thought, jerking her wand upwards.

To her delight, the shield expanded in front of her, deflecting Draco's jinx. But she didn't pause to rejoice. Before half the class had realized what had happened, she tore down her shield with a quick slashing movement and cast a wordless spell.

Fire roared out of the end of her wand, making some people squeal and leap away in fright. 'Protego!' A panicked yelp came from the receiving end of the flames, and Draco tripped over a desk in his haste to leap away. When the flames died away, they found him sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily, his hat askew.

The class broke into cheers, the loudest of which coming from the Gryffindors and Daphne. Harry and Ron were both grinning broadly. Even Snape managed a thin smile. 'Twenty points to Slytherin,' he said. 'Well done, Shadow.'

'Thank you, sir.'

S

'You still smell like smoke,' Blaise smirked when Draco slipped into the seat beside him during potions.

'Shut up,' he growled back, running his hands through his hair to dust out the ash he was convinced was there.

'You deserved it,' Blaise stated bluntly.

_I know. _Draco slammed his books irritably down onto the desk.

'I still think you're a bloody idiot,' Blaise said, watching as Draco unpacked his cauldron in jerky movements.

_I do too._ 'I told you to shut up. I don't need your opinion.'

'You're gonna regret this for the rest of your life,' Blaise continued as if Draco had not spoken. 'Not only is she one of the few decent girls in our year, but you also do _not_ want to get on her bad side.'

'Would you just shut your -'

'Now then,' Slughorn beamed from where he stood beside the center table, cutting Draco off before he could finish. 'I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kinds of things you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?'

He indicated the cauldron nearest the table where Draco, Blaise, and Theo were sitting. It looked like it contained plain boiling water. To nobody's surprise, Granger's hand shot up into the air. Draco suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

'It's Veritaserum,' Granger said eagerly after Slughorn pointed at her. 'A colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth.' Beside her, Shadow shifted to get a better view of the cauldron. Draco looked away.

'Very good, very good!' said Slughorn happily. 'Now,' he continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest the table where all the Ravenclaws had bunched up. 'this one here is pretty well-known... featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately, too... who can -?'

Granger whipped her hand up once more. Draco sighed loudly.

'It's Polyjuice Potion, sir.'

She, Weasley, and Potter all exchanged amused glances at the name. Draco narrowed his eyes.

'Excellent, excellent! Now let's see this one,' Slughorn lifted the lid off the one nearest to Potter's table. Even from across the room, its seductive scents reached Draco. Its exquisite mixture seemed to be able to ease the tightness in his chest that had been present since the holidays - until he recognized one particular smell.

'Can anyone tell me about this lovely potion?' Slughorn looked slightly bemused as Hermione's hand punched the air again. But then, to Draco's surprise, Shadow's hand raised as well.

'Ah, Shadow, my girl! You know this one?'

The flurry of emotions that fleeted across her expression made Draco feel as if someone had clenched at his esophagus. 'I recognized the smells,' she said quietly. Potter and Weasley exchanged confused glances at the tightness in her voice, but Granger seemed to understand. So did Draco.

'It's Amortentia,' her emerald gaze slid to rest on Draco, and he found that he could not look away. 'The most powerful love portion in the world.'

'Quite right, Shadow,' Slughorn beamed at her, oblivious to the tension that had suddenly filled the room. 'This is perhaps the most dangerous potion in this room - oh yes,' he said, nodding gravely at two Ravenclaw boys, both of whom were smirking skeptically. Never underestimate the power of obsessive love...'

Draco looked away from Shadow, feeling as if he'd suddenly been burned. His mouth tasted like ashes, and all he could smell was wild tiger lilies - the very type of flower he'd once given to Shadow last year for Christmas. It had looked so striking against her raven hair, sunset orange. It was also the smell of her shampoo.

_Stop it._

Draco was so distracted that it wasn't until Slughorn lifted a tiny corked bottle filled with a deep rich golden liquid that he was able to refocus on what was going on.

'And that,' Slughorn was saying, 'is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson. One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis. Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt.'

Draco sat upright, forcing all his other thoughts away. _Liquid luck_. He was going to need it. He was going to need it badly.

Twenty minutes later, the classroom was filled with the feverish sounds of stirring, bubbling, and chopping. They were to make the Draught of the Living Death, and so far, Draco's potion was nowhere near good enough. Sure, it was much farther ahead than almost everybody else, but he wasn't the only one. Shadow's cauldron was filled with the same "smooth, blackcurrant-colored liquid" as his did, as did Granger's. Yet no matter how much he stirred, he couldn't get it to turn the light shade of lilac described in the book.

Draco threw down his silver knife and glared at the Sopophorous Beans that simply refused to cooperate. He'd already added some into the cauldron, but he thought it had released too little juice, which was why he was cutting up more. But they just wouldn't cut properly...

Irritably, he squashed one of the beans with the heel of his hand. To his astonishment, it immediately exuded so much juice that he was amazed the shriveled bean could have held it all. Hastily scooping it all into the cauldron, he saw that the potion had immediately turned the exact shade of lilac described by the textbook.

_Yes!_ Draco glanced around to see if Shadow or Granger had progressed thus far. Both of them were wearing scowls of frustration, their potions still resolutely purple. He was about smirk when he caught sight of something that made his jaw drop. Potter's potion had turned palest pink, the farthest progressed in the whole room, and with each stir, it was steadily turning paler.

Draco cursed under his breath and stirred his potion faster. It was turning paler, for sure, but not at a pace fast enough to overtake Potter. _Potter._ Of all the adversaries he thought he'd have to beat today, Potter had not been on his mind! He couldn't lose to _him!_

'And time's... up!' called Slughorn. 'Stop stirring, please!'

He moved slowly between the tables, peering into the cauldrons, occasionally giving the potions a stir or a sniff. He gave Draco a warm smile when he saw his. 'Mr Malfoy, I presume? Severus spoke highly of your potions skills. He was not wrong, I see.'

Draco gave him a confident smile. 'Professor Snape spoke most highly of you too, sir. And my grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy mentioned your prowess in potions too.'

Slughorn nodded amiably. 'I'm sorry to hear he died of dragonpox. At such a young age too.'

Draco watched tensely as he finally reached the Gryffindor table. He gave both Shadow and Granger approving nodes, but when he reached Potter's, Draco felt his hopes crash.

'The clear winner!' Slughorn cried to the dungeon, his face lit up with incredulous delight. 'Excellent, excellent, Harry! Good Lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent, she was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! Here you are, then, here you are - one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!'

Draco gawked furiously along with the rest of the class. He would not have minded as much if Shadow, or even Granger, had won it. But _Potter_? The one thing he was sure he'd beat the arrogant boy in, now he could only watch as Potter took the little lucky bottle away from right under his nose.

Shadow laughed at something Harry muttered to her and messed with his hair. Draco felt the tightness in his heart twist to a more painful degree. Luck was not the only thing Harry Potter had claim to that Draco did not.


End file.
